


Walking Towards the Sunset

by bardocksheadband



Category: Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:08:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 163,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23831389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bardocksheadband/pseuds/bardocksheadband
Summary: Bardock's curse sends him to a mysterious place where weaklings are abundant and an odd trio claim to be his family. Eventually giving in, he stays with them to discover that Earth is more unlucky than Planet Vegeta. Impatiently waiting for his son's arrival, Bardock has to survive a new life with his estranged family and a certain girl set on finding the truth. (Saiyaman-Buu Saga) Rated M for language.
Relationships: Videl Satan/Son Gohan
Comments: 5
Kudos: 37





	1. The Great Saiyaman Meets Bardock

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there! This is Vintage Taylor from FFN. A friend of my recommended me to upload my story Walking Towards the Sunset on here because of how amazing the users are!

"Where's he going, Dad!?"

"I'm not sure son," Ipana looked down the path where the mysterious savior was beginning to disappear. He placed a purple hand on little Berry's shoulder, admiration in his eyes at the messy-haired hero. "But we must never forget what he has done for our planet."

Berry smiled up at his father, then back at the golden figure ahead of him slowly becoming more and more smaller. "Thank you so much, Mr. Bardock! Thank you!"

The villagers looked over at the father-son duo, and grateful smiles filled their faces as they raised their hands in the air to wave goodbye to the back of Badock. "Thank you, Bardock!"

The lone Super Saiyan made his way towards the sunset, the villagers of Planet Plant cheering him on after defeating the evil tyrant Lord Chilled. Thoughts of his crew crept back into his mind, a melancholy smile crossing his features. It wasn't Frieza nor Dodoria, but he had avenged their deaths at last. The golden aura that illuminated around him caused a devilish smirk to take over the sad smile, not able to believe he had finally become strong enough when he most needed it.

Bardock looked over his shoulder one last time at the villagers whose home he had just saved, and gave them a mixture of a wink and thumbs up. He tried to keep his eyes hard as stone, but the little gleam in them was enough to convince him that perhaps being a hero was a good thing. He was so use to murdering entire populations under order of The Planet Trade that he thought it was the only satisfaction there was in life - hearing people beg for their lives at his mercy, the pathetic way they tried to stand up against him and his crew always gave him a good chuckle.

But saving a planet...

Bardock paused mid-step, staring at the sunset.

What the hell has gotten into me?

The legendary Super Saiyan shook his head, trying to ignore the feeling that began rising from within his chest. He had heard that there was something called a 'heart' located within, but Bardock was most certain that he did not have one of those. Well, at least not one that could feel.

It was just an organ that did its job, and would eventually retire.

The beautiful cycle of life he messed up for so many others.

Bardock rolled his eyes. That's all a heart was. Mind over emotions, the good ol' Voltaire way. Listening to the cheers of the villagers beginning to fade away in the background, he swore to himself that he could come back one day and murder them for making him feel so strange inside.

Still...

That feeling for them was the whole reason he felt this enormous power up rush within him and erupt in pure rage. Pure rage and strength; the kind of strength he would unsuccessfully pray for when it came to facing Frieza. The cockiness was not lost within him; Bardock at the moment was the most powerful being in the universe.

The universe of the past.

Frowning, Bardock placed his hands on his hips and looked around. "Well shit," he muttered, noticing nothing but the rocks and dirty pathways of Planet Plant. "What do I do now?"

As if on cue, the sun before him suddenly expanded. The only thing he could manage to say before the massive bright light swallowed him whole was:

"This next place better have some god damn food."

The sound of muttered gasps filled the ears of the Saiyan now in base form as he blinked his eyes open slowly. He silently swore at the Kanassan warrior that brought this curse upon him. Sure, seeing the future was great and all that. Seeing his son kick Frieza's ass was some pretty great shit. But the bastard never warned him about time travel!

Of course not, you murdered his entire race you idiot.

Bardock rolled his eyes at himself, and finally took in the sight around him. He was laying belly-up in a crater that was caused from his drop into whatever world and time he was in now, some ugly beings looking down at him in awe. He could have easily mistaken them for Saiyans if it weren't for their pathetically low ki and lack of tails.

A rather large red-headed woman pursed her lips down at the fallen alien, a mixture of worry and confusion taking over he features. "Oh, dear! Are you alright?"

The Saiyan shot her a nasty glare before jumping to his feet, causing his audience to gasp once more. The sound increased as he began levitating up, placing himself right in front of the curious woman. He crossed his arms over his chest. "What planet is this?"

"...Huh?"

Bardock stretched his arm out abruptly, his hand wrapping around the woman's neck as a smirk formed on his lips. The heroic softy he was on Planet Plant was beginning to disappear, as the proud Saiyan from Planet Vegeta came back. "What is the name of your planet, you pathetic weakling!"

"HEY!" A tall man wearing an all gray suit, after seeing Bardock falling from the sky, finally came running to the scene to defend the suffocating woman in the tight stranger's grip. He pulled his coat back so a gun was revealed, sitting on his hip. He pointed at it. "Let her go now, or I'll shoot!"

Bardock's smirk increased, giving the woman's neck a good squeeze before dropping her hardly on the ground. Two other men standing on the sidelines rushed to her side, lifting her up while others began to call the police on the maniac. He began taking slow steps toward the gray-suited man, whose hands began shaking as he lifted the pistol out its holster to point at the buffed-out stranger. "I dare you."

The poor man's eyes began to widen, and out of fear he aimed right at Bardock's chest and pulled the trigger. He closed his eyes not wanting to see the man dying on the ground. When he didn't hear the drop of a body, he slowly reopened them to see the stranger just inches before him, unharmed and chuckling darkly. "What the hell are you!? Where did you come from!?"

Bardock's eye twitched. Oh, so when one of them asks that, it's all peaches and rainbows. But when he tries asking as friendly as possible, he's suddenly the bad guy! "You tell me first!" he snarled, silently enjoying being the most powerful of all beings now as the man raised his pistol again. Bardock raised an eyebrow, studying the metal object. It was definitely more futuristic than the pea-shooters Lord Chilled's army used back on Planet Plant. There was a large circle with two C's inside of it marked on the side, a symbol he had noticed on the buildings around them.

So, I'm in the future...?

"W-what do you mean?" The frightened man's voice caused Bardock to snap out of his thought momentarily, and the Saiyan easily snatched the gun out of his hand to study it further. Ignoring the pathetic pleas of the now unarmed man, the sound of sirens filled his ears followed by a speaker announcement.

"Drop the weapon and put your hands where I can see them!" the request caused Bardock to snort cruelly. He looked behind him to see ten white cars with flashing red and blue lights, which he found extremely annoying and uncalled for. There was a short, round mustached man holding a megaphone to his lips. "Resistance is futile. There is a gun pointed at you from every direction."

What the hell, why not have a little fun with them?

Bardock dropped the gun and raised his hands sarcastically in the air. "Oh, no. You got me."

One of the officers emerged from behind one of the cop cars, trembling as he made his way towards the Saiyan. Two other men were following suit, holding handcuffs. As the trembling one reached for the gun, Bardock smirked and kicked it at his face, causing him to fall over. The other officers thought he shot him in the face, and angrily began firing at the alien.

The audience that once encircled the fallen Saiyan were now hiding behind the trees and objects to avoid the gunsmoke that filled the air. Once the sound of ammunition ended, they peaked their heads slowly out to see a bloody Saiyan on the ground, dead as day. To their extreme surprise, he was standing in the center looking more alive than ever. The only thing the bullets did was cause Bardock to become annoyed.

"Congratulations!" He sarcastically applauded the dumbfounded officers. "It stung like a bitch... But I guess by that look on your faces, that wasn't your intention." His smirk increased, looking diabolically at the citizens of Satan City. "Now it's my turn."

As a glowing orb of light began to form in the Saiyan's hands much to the fear of everyone around him, a woman's voice called out: "Look! It's The Great Saiyaman!"

Cheers from the citizens irked Bardock, causing his orb to fade as he glanced in the direction everyone was pointing to. In the sky was a flying figure, wearing a helmet with antennas. He was wearing a black body suit with a green tunic draped over it. His gloves were as white as his boots, and he was waving to the gawking people. Attached to his shoulders was a red cape, a signal of a superhero. Bardock's eye twitched once more.

The fuck is that?

Bardock watched in disdain at the hero landed prominently on a cop car in front of him. The eye twitching never ceased at the figure began to dance. "I am guardian of the city! I'm the one and only-" the helmeted guy began to tap his feet rapidly before striking his final poses. "The Great Saiyaman!"

The Saiyan rolled his eyes, and walked up to the car. "Enough with the routine already, it's sickening."

Saiyaman opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out as he suddenly got a good glimpse of the creature people were screaming about. He gave him a once-over, and his body began to tremble. The hair was messy, blacked, spiked out in an all too familiar fashion. The red headband tied around the forehead and the eerily reminder of the Saiyan armor Gohan wore in Namek suddenly crossed his mind as he took in the stranger's outfit. If it wasn't for the darker skin tone, tail around his waist, and scar on the left cheek, Gohan could have sworn that the man was...

The Great Saiyaman gulped, suddenly remembering another incident from Namek. Upon seeing Goku, Frieza had recognized him as a Saiyan because he said he looked almost identical to Bardock...

Gohan's grandfather he never met.

The teenager shook his head at the crazy thought. This was pure coincidence. There was no way the man before him could be Bardock. He was the first to die in Frieza's Supernova.

"Look, I'll level with you." Bardock's voice snapped Gohan out of his thoughts. "You tell me what I need to know, and I won't kill any of you today."

The Great Saiyaman raised his head in slight anger. He knew he could not trust this mysterious character. "Not today, but tomorrow, right? You're not going to cause any harm to these good people, sir!"

Bardock chuckled darkly as his audience remained in hiding, but still peaked at the show every chance they had. "Looks like they want a show. How about it? You seem to at least have some kind of fight in you."

Spoken like a true Saiyan, Gohan scratched the back of his head.

Gosh, what if it is...

No.

It just can't be.

After sensing the strong ki and not wanting to cause any harm to the inhabitants of Satan City, Gohan starting levitating. "It would be better if I choose the location, good sir! I don't want the people seeing you lose!"

Bardock scoffed. "Sure, wherever you want to mark your grave is fine with me."

The Great Saiyaman blasted off towards the deep blue sky, Bardock following suit while the citizens gaped at the speed they were traveling. Remembrance of the Cell Games and Mr. Satan's revelations that the flying was indeed a trick caused them all to shrug and begin going back to their normal routine. It was just a magic show for entertainment.

But the finger marks on a red-headed woman's neck made it near impossible to believe.


	2. The Two Golden Fighters

Bardock glared at the 'superhero' flying ahead of him. Something strange had happened to him on Planet Plant; he was able to read power levels without a scouter on. Which he didn't mind at all. Personally, he found them embarrassing to wear.

This Saiyaman person's ki was higher than anyone's he had encountered, even stronger than Lord Chilled and his goons. In fact, the weirdo's level seemed equivalent to his own.

And this bothered the hell out of Bardock.

His snarl was replaced by a confident smirk, immediately remembering his powerful new transformation.

The poor bastard will never know what hit him...

Feeling someone's eyes burning into the back of him, Gohan glanced over his shoulder to see the pensive face of the man who looked so much like his father. He felt his heart begin to sink and become uneasy. It wasn't Goku. It couldn't be his...grandfather. Of course, this person wasn't even capable of being a Saiyan. The only full blooded Saiyans left were his father and Vegeta, and along with Raditz and Nappa, they were the only four Saiyans to have survived Frieza's Supernova.

Unless, of course, someone wished this guy back from the dead...

Gohan gulped. No, no. There wasn't anyone around who would want any cold-blooded Saiyan alive, even the father of Earth's greatest protector. Maybe he wasn't even a Saiyan to begin with. Still...

Who is he?

"Why don't you just take a picture?" Bardock snarled, still being able to detect eyes searching him over even through the idiotic helmet the guy wore. "Can you just pick a spot already?"

The Great Saiyaman laughed wholeheartedly, pointing a proud finger in the air and disguising his voice. "In a big rush to embarrass yourself, good sir?"

The Saiyan chuckled darkly, always loving a dumb opponent. "It amazes me how confident someone wearing antennas on his head can be."

Gohan stopped abruptly, turning around to face the stranger. "Hey! It's called a fashion sense, thank you very much, and I won't be judged by someone wearing leg warmers!"

Bardock growled, inching closer to the foolish hero. "Don't you ever talk shit about the leg warmers."

The Great Saiyaman crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at Bardock through his helmet when he felt his ki begin to skyrocket even more. "I guess this is the spot, then. Are you up for a good flying spar?"

A smirk crossed the deadly Saiyan's face. He had to admit, the guy had courage. "This isn't a spar, you idiot. It's a fight to the death." He chuckled darkly once again, his eyes narrowing. "And I plan on living." Gohan watched in silent awe as the man before him formed the signature fighting stance his father always took before a good fight. Once again, if it weren't for the outfit and scar, Gohan would be looking right at Goku.

Oh, and the tail.

The tail...

THE TAIL.

Gohan felt like his entire body was going to shatter into pieces, as he froze up during his realization. This being was definitely a Saiyan; only a Saiyan or monkeys had a tail like that. If this man wasn't defeated today, the full moon that would come out in a few more nights would definitely be the world's downfall. Sure, it could easily be cut off. But who knows just how powerful his ape form was... What if he couldn't get a chance to chop it off? "WAIT!"

Watching a green orb begin to form in the Saiyan's hand, Gohan raised his arms up, a signal of surrender. Raising an eyebrow, Bardock lowered his hand to his side. "What are you on about now, freak?"

"Y-You're a Saiyan, aren't you?"

The man blinked a couple of times, slightly taken aback.

Shit, I thought after that attack from Frieza the future wouldn't even know Saiyans existed...

Bardock closed the gap between himself and the Great Saiyaman, stricking out a hand that gripped on the hero's neck. To his surprise, Gohan wasn't choking due to the returning strong grip on his arm to restrain it. Bardock snarled. "How the hell do you know what a Saiyan is?"

"My father's a Saiyan..." Gohan gulped, noticing the small shock and mixture of something else form in Bardock's familiar orbs. "Making me one, too... Well, half anyway. My mom's a human." The teen laughed nervously.

Oh, no! I've said way too much!

Bardock threw the Great Saiyaman back a few feet, releasing his grip and pointing an angry finger at the man while his head pounded in confusion. "W-What...?" His shock turned into rage as his voice went higher. "Impossible! By all accounts, every member of the Saiyan race was killed when Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta! The future should have no knowledge of us!"

He's a time traveler, then...?

Gohan cringed. A part of him really wanted to believe this man wasn't a Saiyan, that it was all a coincidence. But after hearing that, he knew that he just had to be. He gulped before continuing, clenching his hands in a fist. "No. You're wrong."

Bardock suddenly roared out with frustration. "Don't tell me I'm in the fucking past again!"

"No!" Gohan laughed nervously. "No, no. You're in the future... What I meant to say was, you were wrong about the Saiyans. Four of them survived."

The elder Saiyan, still not looking a day over twenty, made his way back to Gohan. Gripping the boy's shoulders tightly, he could see the truthful eyes of this futuristic being through the helmet. "Who."

The Great Saiyaman tried his best to keep his composure, but felt himself shrinking underneath the tough stranger's gaze. The haunting thought that he most likely wasn't a stranger at all pushing its way through Gohan's mind. "Well, for starters, there was Nappa, Raditz, Vegeta, and..." He searched the strained eyes, hinting at when he mentioned Raditz's name, the eyes seemed to cloud over. There was only one way to make sure this man was who Gohan truly believed him to be. "Kakarot. They were all on other planets while the Supernova attacked Planet Vegeta."

My sons...

Bardock took a second to take what this weird guy had to say, not believing him but the painful twist in his stomach knowing this Saiyaman person knew the names of his sons, along with Prince Vegeta and his comrade Nappa. Tightening his nails into the caped shoulders of the hero, Bardock snarled. "Where are they!?"

Gohan trembled due to the powerful grip and voice, not sure what he should say. The only person he was able to tell lies to was Videl, because he loved teasing her. This guy didn't seem like the one to play around. He sighed, looking into the eyes of the mysterious time traveling Saiyan. "They're all dead, except for Vegeta."

The boy felt like he was going to die from the heat radiating from the angry, pained eyes of the one who held onto his shoulders. Suddenly, Bardock released his grasp and flew back a few inches, the familiar yells that escaped his father's lips on Namek against Frieza filling the sky. Gohan watched in amazement as the man's black hair turned gold, black eyes turned green. A brilliant gold aura surrounded him, his icy eyes settling on the Great Saiyaman.

Wow, he's a Super Saiyan...

Gohan scratched his chin, confusion taking over his unseen features.

I thought Vegeta said my father was the legendary Super Saiyan... If this guy is from the past, then...

The boy gasped.

...Then he must be the legendary Super Saiyan!

"No," Gohan shook his head, now speaking aloud. "No, that can't be right."

Well, maybe it is. If my dad became a Super Saiyan, his father would most likely have become one as well. Meaning...

Bardock's green eyes twitched in frustration, not knowing why this being coward in fear upon seeing his powerful transformation. "Are you asking for a death wish or something?"

"Nope!" Gohan, extremely sassy, placed his hands on his hips. This Saiyan got a huge Zenkai power somewhere that helped him achieve this form that was no shocker to anyone, anymore. Still, the boy could easily match it. "I can become a Super Saiyan, too."

"Wh-What!?" Bardock slightly sweatdropped, pointing an angry finger at the dork. "How!?"

The boy smirked, being especially saucy today. "Didn't you hear what I said earlier? My father is a Saiyan," he threw the man before him a knowing look. "And so is my grandfather. Isn't that right, Bardock?"

The older Saiyan lowered his raised fists to his side, slightly in shock. "H-How do you know my name!?"

"Well," the Great Saiyaman shook his head. "I really didn't want to believe it, but as soon as I saw you I knew. I heard stories that you stood face to face with Frieza, and for some reason you must of survived or gone through a wormhole or something to be standing in front of me all these years later."

Bardock's head began to pound, and he held it tight in his palms as if it was going to fall off. His mind was reeling.

This freak is a son of one of the Saiyans!? But which one...

Ugh. Nappa.

It's got to be Nappa.

Bardock peaked through his fingers at Gohan, his eyes narrowed. "So, you're the son of Nappa!?"

The Great Saiyaman began choking on air, his arms flailing. "Nappa is not my dad! Can't you tell by looking at me!?"

His grandfather crossed his arms over his chest, rolling his eyes. "Idiot, you're wearing that ridiculous get-up! All I see is a helmeted disgrace!"

"Oh, right!" Gohan laughed nervously, looking down at his watch that Bulma devised for him so he could easily switch outfits. Pressing the red button his side, his costume magically turned into his regular get-up for school, the Orange Star High School patch on his black vest. He smiled confidently at Bardock, placing his arms on his sides to strike a pose. "Do I look familiar now?"

With his eye twitching for the nth time since meeting the Great Saiyaman, he looked at the newly dressed boy before him up and down. He appeared quite skinny at first glance, but there were hints of that good ol' Saiyan muscle underneath his long-sleeved white shirt, with that good ol' black Saiyan hair. It wasn't until he got a good glimpse of the cream-colored face that his non-existent heart sunk down to his stomach.

"R-Raditz...?"

"Ew!" Gohan shuddered, remmebering his long-haired uncle. "No way... But, you're on the right track!"

Bardock blinked his green eyes some more, and gasped as an image of a vision he had before being hit by Frieza's final attack of that young messy-haired Saiyan, almost identical to himself, defeating the evil space tyrant. He reached a shaky hand towards Gohan. "You're... You're Kakarot's child?"

Gohan laughed, running a nervous hand through his hair. "Well, technically I'm not a child anymore. But yeah... Goku's my father."

His grandfather raised an eyebrow. "What the fuck is a Goku?"

"Oh, uh, that's what everyone calls him here. His Earth name, I guess." Gohan's nervous laughter continued, causing Bardock to grind his teeth.

"Tell me," Bardock sent green daggers his way. "Where's Kakarot now?"

"Uh, it's a long story-"

"Stop that damn laughing!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Gohan raised both of his hands in front of him, a sign of apology. This Saiyan before him was seemingly impatient and uncaring, but the emotion shown in his eyes let the boy know he wasn't entirely soulless. "My father sacrificed himself for me seven years ago against this evil android named Cell..." Gohan lowered his voice, trying to sound as intimating as possible. His trademark awkwardness failed him as usual. "He's way stronger than Frieza ever was."

So my boy defeated two outrageously powerful opponents...

A cocky and proud smirk crossed Bardock's face as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Of course Kakarot defeated both of those weaklings. He's my son, after all."

Gohan fiddled with his thumbs, unsure of how the other Saiyan would react. "Well, not exactly... I was the one who killed Cell, and Vegeta's son from the future ultimately killed Frieza." The infamous nervous laughter returned, much to Bardock's annoyance. "But my father sure beat the hell out of him!"

Bardock's trademark scowl returned due to slight frustration. First of all, from mentioning Vegeta and his son. He groaned. That arrogant asshole always seems to stay alive. And what's this about his son? From the future? "Is everyone a fucking time traveler?" He cursed under his breath, causing Gohan to scratch his head.

"Huh?"

"Nothing!" Bardock snapped, continuing his thought process. Secondly, this kid was making the claim that he killed some android or whatever, who apparently was 'way stronger than Frieza'. Green eyes full of disgust, he looked over his - shudder - grandson. He was a mere toothpick! An awkward dork without Saiyan pride! Bardock grimaced. "So... you're my grandson." He rolled his eyes. "I guess I need to know your name."

"The name's Gohan!" The teen beamed, but grew concerned when he noticed the dirty look he was receiving from the other end. He sighed slightly. "Look, this isn't easy for me to take in either. I can tell you're disappointed because I'm not a ruthless killer like you, but I'm not exactly happy you're here."

He's a little sassy ass, isn't he?

Bardock scoffed, looking away from Gohan. "You're an embarrassment, running around this town playing a superhero. Didn't Kakarot teach you anything, or have you gone soft during his absence?"

"Ha," Gohan placed his hands on his hips and stuck his tongue out like a petulant child. "Joke's on you, your precious son was a hero just like me. And I'm pretty positive he's continuing to be one in Other World."

"Shut up!" Bardock roared, sending a ki blast towards Gohan who easily deflected it. "I saw the look on his face as he gave that tyrant the beating of his life! That's no hero - that's a first class Saiyan warrior that would laugh in your face!"

"Funny." Gohan smirked. "Tell me, would you like to see a real Super Saiyan?"

"Hm?"

The smirk remaining on Gohan's face, he looked directly into Bardock's green eyes as they widened in surprise as his grandson's turned the same color. Sure enough, the same gold aura and hair took over his original Saiyan features. However, unlike Bardock, Gohan managed to transform effortlessly. Sensing the extremely high ki, Bardock flew back a few inches.

Well, the little shit wasn't lying.

"Shall we test our strength?" Gohan asked confidently, pointing finger at the other Super Saiyan. "Or is good ol' Grandpa too old?"

The shock finally leaving him, Bardock chuckled darkly as he charged towards the younger Saiyan. The two golden orbs danced together in the sky, equal sizes. It amazed Bardock immensely how his grandson was managing to dodge every hit, even the ki blasts. They were pretty much even, but Bardock had the sickening feeling in his stomach the boy was holding back on him.

His ki is too high for this BS.

Before the two could land another blow to each other, a yellow jet suddenly appeared right beside the flying duo. Bardock watched as Gohan suddenly froze, his eyes widening when he turned his head slowly to see the driver. Confused, Bardock followed his line of vision to see a young girl about his grandson's age, with long black hair tied back in pigtails. She would look just like a Saiyan female, if it weren't for her big blue eyes. His confusion grew at Gohan began to tremble and speak in tongue.

"I've found you!" The girl shouted, a scowl on her face while pointing a proud finger at the younger Saiyan. "I've found you, Gold Fighter! You're not escaping this time!"

Gohan let out a scream that embarrassed Bardock immensely, before taking off in another direction far away from the jet and his grandfather. "The fuck is going on?"

The sound of the girl's gasp caught his attention as he brought his green eyes back towards the her. Her baby blues were widened with awe mixed with terror. "Oh my God, there's two of them!?"

Bardock looked at the girl in disgust before taking off in the direction of his grandson. "Get back here, boy, we're not finished!"

"IS SHE FOLLOWING US!?" The body ahead of him shouted, causing Bardock to look over his shoulder at the yellow contraption following suit. He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, want me to blast her?"

"NO!" Gohan was full of panic sweat as he looked back at Bardock with fear. "Just fly as fast as you can and follow me! We'll hide out in my house until it's safe again!"

Bardock paused for a moment, watching his grandson's speed increase greatly as his figure began to disappear. The sound of angry shouts coming from the strange female behind him made him cringe. Honestly, the poor guy had nowhere to go until he was sent somewhere else. Besides, the fight wasn't over yet and knowing a Saiyan's appetite, the boy was sure to have plenty of food.

Taking a deep sigh, Bardock took off in the direction of Gohan, hoping to the Gods he didn't run into any more females.


	3. Chi-Chi and Goten

The brilliant morning sun was shining its rays through the kitchen window of the sweet little cottage located on Mount Paozu. It was kissing the alabaster skin of Chi-Chi, who was scrubbing the fragile dishes that previously held a delicious pancake breakfast. Of course, with her boys, there was never much to clean off the plates except for the half-Saiyan saliva.

A smile crossed her face as she heard the childish laughter escape her youngest son's mouth. He was playing with a rollie pollie bug he brought in after playing outside; the reasoning behind his love for little critters, even the gross ones, was unknown to her. Chi-Chi just concluded the boy inherited a great deal of his father's gentle nature.

"Now Goten," she called over running water. "Remember our agreement!"

"I know Mama!" the boy shouted back loud enough for her to hear. "My friend gets to stay as long as I sanitize where he's been!"

Genuine laughter escaped the mother's voice, amused that her little boy repeated her exact words. Smiling to herself, she finished drying the last plate. As she opened the cabinet to put it away, her eyes went to the window to see the sight of two bodies approaching her home. As the plate slipped slowly out of her hand, the sound of glass shattering sent Goten charging to his mother's side.

"Mama, Mama!" Goten panted, pulling on the frozen woman's pant leg. "Are you okay!?"

Chi-Chi blinked, unable to move as the golden figures got closer. Even with the punker hair, it was the maternal instinct of Chi-Chi to recognize her oldest son no matter what form he decided to take on today. While returning back to his base form, a scowl crossed the woman's face as she clenched her hands into fists. "What in the world is Gohan doing here!? He's suppose to be in school right now!"

"Ooh!" Goten grinned widely, and crawled up on the counter so he could see his idol out the window. "Yay, Gohan's home! Now we can play!"

Chi-Chi was unable to smile this time at her son's happiness. Her frustration was taken over by a mixture of shock and pain as the man beside him turned back to his base form as well. Her heart began to ache as she looked the stranger over, the familiar messy hair and face like a dagger to her chest. Her eyes began to water as her lip trembled at the same time. As much as she tried to be strong about Goku's absence, she was now beginning to have hallucinations about him.

"Who's that with Gohan? Goten tilted his head to the side like a curious puppy. "He has hair like me!"

Chi-Chi looked her son with wide eyes, disbelief overwhelming her. "You see him, too!?"

Goten giggled at his mom's frantic expression, slightly rolling his eyes - a habit he had copied from her. "Well, duh, Mama!" The young boy looked back out at his brother and his look-alike stranger, a small frown taking over his happiness. "Oooh, but it looks like they're arguing."

The woman blinked a couple of times, trying to control her heart rate. She moved her eyes slowly back to the two men outside, just to make sure they were still there and her son hadn't inherited her craziness. Sure enough, Gohan was pointing frantically up at the sky, and then motioning towards the cottage in the same manner. The stranger began stomping his feet in protest, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away from her son in disgust. Gohan spoke inaudible words to the man, and it wasn't until the stranger's gaze met Chi-Chi's through the window that her hope had diminished.

The now clearly visible scar on the left side of his cheek and the scowl that went along with it let Chi-Chi know there was no way possible this man could be her husband. Goku never, ever looked at her in such a nasty, cruel way he was doing.

Chi-Chi growled, her predatory instincts kicking in as Gohan looked over his shoulder to nervously wave at his mother. Unlatching it, Chi-Chi slid the window open. "GOHAN!"

The boy scratched the back of his head while the stranger flinched at the sound of her voice. Gohan laughed nervously, feeling his mother's anger rise. "Hiya, Mom! How goes it?"

"How goes it!? How goes it!?" Chi-Chi pointed an accusing finger at her son, the little boy beside her laughing with delight and cheering her on. "I'll tell you how goes it! I'm here thinking you're safe and sound in school, but now I see you running around with no good thugs!?"

Upon hearing the 'T' word, Goten jumped off the counter and coward behind his mother's legs so the mean man wouldn't get him.

Bardock raised an eyebrow, not really understanding why his strong grandson was in fear of this dainty, albeit loud, woman. Even though she was his mother, a true Saiyan wouldn't take orders from no one. "Thug?"

Chi-Chi huffed, not happy that the thug was speaking to her. "Yes, that's right! I see the dirty looks you've been giving me!"

The Saiyan snarled and began stepping towards the woman in the window. "By the tone in your voice, it sounds like you want to fight."

Gohan protectively stood in front of Bardock, his eyes narrowed at the man who seemingly wanted to harm his mother. "Listen, Bardock. I don't-"

"If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!"

The teenager looked over his shoulder to see his mother charging at the two with her broom at full speed and that familiar panic sweat began to form on his forehead. "Mother, what do you think you're doing!?"

"Out of the way, Gohan!" She yelled, raising her broom high in the air like a knight and his sword. "If you don't move, you're getting broomed too!"

"Mom, wait, you can't!" Gohan now fully faced his mother, raising his arms in front of her to calm her down. He didn't really want to tell her like this, but Chi-Chi was an upfront kind of a gal and he knew she'd take it well. "This man isn't a thug! He's Dad's...dad. My grandfather, Bardock!"

The teen watched in horror as his mother froze, and it heightened as her eyes rolled to the back of her head. The broom slipped out of her hand before she fainted onto the ground. Bardock scoffed, pushing Gohan aside and stepping over the unconscious woman towards the cottage.

"Make sure when she wakes up to have a meal prepared."

Gohan blinked once, twice, and a third time at the back of his grandfather before kneeling down to pick up Chi-Chi. He took one last look at her defeated face before lifting her up.

Why am I always wrong about everything?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As the Saiyan opened the door of the small home, a little boy stared up at him with a mixture of awe and terror in his eyes. Bardock gasped slightly, a strange feeling in his gut starting to brew as he observed the child. This little one looked exactly like the infant Kakarot, if Bardock got the chance to see the infant turn into a young boy. There was no denying it.

Shit...

"So that dork and harpy are honest to God related to me," he muttered under his breath, causing Goten to tilt his head in confusion once again.

"H-Hi, mister!" Goten saluted him, his hand slightly shaky at the sight of the thug towering above him. "What's your name?"

His eye twitched at the innocent sound of the child's voice, still feeling slightly queasy. "Bardock," he answered bluntly, looking around the living of the home. When his eyes reached the fruit bowl sitting perfectly on the table, he walked over immediately and stuffed three apples in his mouth. "What's yours, little spawn?"

The young boy laughed at the muffled voice, and hopped over to the man's side. He reached his small hand over to the bowl, placing the same amount of apples in his mouth to imitate Bardock. "My name is Goten!"

"Goten?" Bardock swallowed the entirety of the fruit in his mouth; core and all. "That's a stupid name."

"So is Bardock!" Goten fumed, and then tried swallowing everything in his mouth. When the core of one apple got stuck in his throat, his face turned red and he began to choke. His grandfather rolled his dark eyes, slightly appalled and annoyed at the dramatic way the child was grasping his neck as if he was going to die.

"Just swallow it already, kid. Damn!"

When Goten's eyes began to water, his head shaking in protest, Bardock's unsettling feeling began to rise. He went behind the boy and kneeled down so they were closer in height. He wrapped his arms around him, making a fist just above his belly button. Grasping his fist with his other hand, Bardock started giving quick and strong upward thrusts.

"HE'S TRYING TO KILL MY BABY!" The door burst open mid Heimlich to reveal a horrified Chi-Chi, with a confused Gohan behind her while she raised her broom high in the manner she did before. The protective mother charged towards the thug, and started swatting at him while avoiding to smack her young son in the process. All it did was cause Bardock to become more agitated than before.

"Well, you sure recovered quickly!" Bardock snarled, but continued his thrusts. The bristles began to poke him in the eyes, causing irritation. "LADY, I'M TRYING TO SAVE MY FUCKING GRANDSON, NOT KILL HIM!" As if on cue, the apple core dislodged from Goten's throat and hit Gohan on the forehead. Although the force was faster than a speeding bullet, the lucky teen had a head of stone.

Chi-Chi lowered her broom slowly, looking in disbelief at the core that was now laying by Gohan's feet. Her eyes traveled back down to the still kneeling Bardock and Goten, whose red face was returning back to normal. The young boy turned around to face Bardock, wrapping his tiny arms around his neck. "Thank you, Mr. Bardock, thank you! You saved my life!"

Bardock blinked, uncomfortable at the reaction of the child and not sure what he should do with his hands. They were floating freely by his side until he felt soft flesh touching one of the hands. With the kid still wrapped around his neck, he looked up to see the woman who was trying to broom-beat him earlier with tears in her eyes.

"I-I'm so sorry," she slightly bowed to him, letting go of his hand that he quickly brought back to his side. "It's just it looked so- Goten's face- Your arms-...Would you like something to eat?"

His eyes left hers to the empty apple bowl, and he muttered profanity under his breath. He pointed to the child wrapped around his neck. "As long as you get the leech off me."

Gohan's laughter touched Chi-Chi's ears before she could pry Goten off the neck of her estranged father-in-law, and the look in her eyes immediately made him stop. "Aren't you forgetting something, Saiyaman!?"

Turning crimson, Gohan ran to his mother's side to kiss her on her cheek, giving Goten a quick noogie before grabbing securing his book bag on his shoulder. "I'm going Mom, I'm going!" He ran towards the door, but sent an apologetic smile to Bardock over his shoulder before leaving. "I'm sorry, we'll finish what we started when I come back."

Bardock stood up, the little spawn still hanging onto him, slightly shocking the grown Saiyan at the strength he had to hold on for so long. "Where the hell are you going!?"

Gohan scratched the back of his head, laughing nervously. "School!" He flashed a two finger salute before flying out the door, leaving Bardock with a twitching eye.

"You can't leave me here with them!" He called, running to the wide open door with Goten still hanging tight. "Get back here!" Despite the annoyance around his neck, he prepared himself to take flight when the aroma of delectable, sinful food touched his flaring nostrils.

"Bardock!" A feminine voice called from the kitchen. "It's almost ready!"

His growling stomach left him with no choice. Before slamming the door shut, he looked up at the sky one last time. "We're not finished, yet."

"Who ya talking to, Mr. Bardock?" Goten spoke into the Saiyan's neck. "Are you going crazy or something?"

Bardock shut the door, sealing himself and his estranged family inside the cottage. Or, as he called it, insane asylum. "Kid, I know I will."


	4. City Escape

Chi-Chi looked at the hungry male sitting across from her devouring his pancakes she made unsurprisingly fast. After years of being married to Goku and raising two sons with the same appetite, Chi-Chi was a pro. Of course it wasn't the quick way he ate that shocked her; she was quite use to it by now. It's just the pure resemblance made her stomach uneasy.

But did the fact that Goku's birth father, the one whom nobody ever met and was supposedly dead, make the woman keel over with disbelief?

Of course not. Ever since she met Goku as a child, her life was full of surprises and weird events that she didn't even question life anymore when it threw her a dead father-in-law.

After she quickly regained consciousness from finding out who he was, Gohan explained to her about his weird time-traveling curse. Chi-Chi was too distraught by the sound of her young son's gagging that she didn't really pay too much attention, but even time-traveling didn't phase her a bit. She already had a taste of it from that future offspring of Bulma and Vegeta.

The actual reason Chi-Chi was a bit distraught was the fact that for the first time in her married life, she was finally getting a taste of what it's like to have an in-law - those terrible, awful, monstrous parents of a spouse that were shown over and over in the TV shows she watched in her spare time.

Was the man in front of her a monster?

Perhaps, but he was more like a thug.

Was the man in front of her terrible and awful?

Perhaps, but he still saved her son from choking to death.

Chi-Chi smiled reluctantly at Bardock, who was now looking up at her with a scowl on his face. "Is something the matter?"

"Where's the rest?" He lifted up his plate and looked under it, as if the pancakes were going to magically appear. He pointed an accusing finger at the giggling Goten, who was looking at him with admiration in his little eyes. "Boy! Did you eat them when I wasn't looking!?"

The woman rolled her eyes. Oh yeah, he was definitely the father of Goku. "How could you have not looked!? Your eyes and hands were all over them the entire time! If Goten did try taking any from you, you'd bite off his finger!"

Bardock muttered profanity under his breath, but not before sending a threatening and suspicious glare towards the giggling boy. "Damn straight I would!"

Chi-Chi huffed, standing up and walking towards Bardock to pick up his empty plate. "I'd really appreciate it if you didn't swear so much! Especially around my little boy." The Saiyan just scoffed before she continued. "If you're still hungry, you're going to have to wait because we ran out of groceries."

"What!?" Bardock slammed his fist down on the table, causing the rollie pollie in front of Goten jumping slightly. This was the worst news for a full-grown Saiyan male to hear! "How long!?"

Rolling her eyes again, the woman turned her back on Bardock and walked over to the sink. "Relax, I'm going grocery shopping after the dishes are done."

The male's eye twitched. "When will that be done!?"

"I don't know, there's quite a lot!" Chi-Chi called, a smirk on her face. "But it would be a lot faster if I had some help!"

Bardock's eyes went immediately to the laughing little boy, whose eyes were on him. They were both pointing fingers at each other, neither in the mood to clean but both in the mood for more food. "Go help her!" They said simultaneously, causing a deadly stare down between the two. Sensing it wasn't going anywhere, Bardock stood up abruptly and reached over to grab Goten by the collar of his gi.

"Listen, kid! Go help your mother clean the dishes, or I'll eat your little friend!"

Goten's eyes grew wide in horror. "No! He's innocent!"

"Then go!" Bardock snarled, dropping the boy's collar as he scrambled to his feet. The grandfather looked down at the tiny helpless bug, sticking out a thumb to kill it before the image of the little boy's sad eyes suddenly crossed his mind and caused that strange, uneasy feeling to swell up inside him again. Instead of squashing it, he flipped it over so it was on its correct side again. "Tch, whatever. You're going to die sooner or later when the kid puts you back outside."

The Saiyan was unaware of the woman looking over at him, a small smile on her face after seeing his mercy. Humming, she began scrubbing what was left of her dishes, handing the plates and glasses down to her young son who dried them for her and put them where they belonged. She was on the last plate when the phone began to ring.

"Hold this, sweetie." Chi-Chi handed the glass gently over to Goten, who happily took it. He hated doing dishes, but he loved to make his mama happy.

Bardock watched her with narrowed eyes as she picked up the red ringing device. "Hello?"

"Mom!" Gohan's voice could be heard on the other end, causing Bardock's ears to perk up a bit. "I'm calling you from the classroom phone. I forgot my lunch at home and-"

Frantically, Chi-Chi looked to the small table on the left side of the door. Sunlight that was creeping through the windows made the large brown paper bag have a spotlight affect. "Oh my goodness!" The woman groaned, slapping herself in the face with her free hand. "How can my poor boy do math on an empty stomach!?"

Bardock rolled his eyes at the dramatic woman, but his still-growling stomach reminded him just how important it was for a Saiyan to keep up with his appetite. Even if he was a half-Saiyan. And a nerd.

"Mom, it's okay!" Gohan laughed nervously into the phone. "I just-"

"Mama will be right there, sweetie! Just give me one hour!"

"NO!" The horrified tone shift caused Bardock to jump and Goten to run into the living room, wondering why his idol was freaking out. "Mom! Do not come here! I was just calling to see if you could have a large dinner ready for me when I come home after school, that's all!"

Collecting herself, Chi-Chi calmly spoke into the phone. "Alright, son. You got it."

Gohan smiled, his panic sweat disappearing. Last thing he needed was his mommy bringing her baby boy his sack of lunch. Still, her sudden calmness caused him to feel some mistrust towards her. He shrugged. If she did have something planned, it would take her at least five hours to get to Satan City from Mount Paozu in her car. School would be over before she even arrived. "Thanks, Mom. I'll see you later!"

"Yes you will," she said in a sing-song voice before placing the phone back on the stand. She smiled devilishly, walking over to the lunch bag. "Yes you will."

"Ooh!" Goten rubbed his hands together, sensing his mother was up to something. "What cha gonna do, Mama!?"

"We are going to get the groceries," she nodded at Bardock, who scowled in return. "And bringing Gohan his lunch."

The male scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "The kid was basically screaming for you to stay the hell away from him. It's not good to irritate a Saiyan, you know."

A sly smirk crossed Chi-Chi's lips as she threw the bag at Bardock, who instinctively caught it but was glaring at his daughter-in-law. "He didn't say anything about his grandfather bringing it to him. Plus, the only way to get to Orange Star High within an hour or less is through flying." She winked at the scowling Saiyan, placing her hands on her hips. "And there's only one of us that can do that."

"Are you telling me the boy doesn't know how to fly?" He looked over at Goten, who blushed hard and smile sheepishly in return. Groaning, Bardock placed the bag on the table so he could slap himself. "The fuck!? How does he not know how to fly!?"

Chi-Chi growled, stomping her way over to Bardock so she could jab him in the chest. "Curse one more time, and watch what happens!" Her warning only caused an eye-roll from her father-in-law. "Besides, Goten gets around on the flying nimbus. He doesn't need to know how to fly."

"Flying nimbus?" Bardock groaned again. "What the hell is that?"

"It's a magic cloud that takes me where I want!" Goten beamed, pulling on the leg of Bardock's suit while laughing. "But you'd probably fall right through."

The Saiyan growled, turning his attention away from the leech and back up at the smug looking Chi-Chi. "If that's the case, why don't you send the boy and his... cloud to that other spawn of yours." He threw the bag down to Goten, and made his way over to the sofa to crash on it. Yawning, he waved Chi-Chi off. "Maybe you should go too and get the groceries. I'm going to rest, and pray to the Gods that I wake up somewhere else."

Chi-Chi began to fume at the sight of her father-in-law so carelessly laying his dirty-armored body all over her newly cleaned sofa. He was stretched out on it as if he owned the place, and judging by his attitude, he most likely believed it. Chi-Chi was the type of woman who pushed people, not the other way around. Father-in-law or not, he sure as hell wasn't getting away with treating her like she was some sort of servant and her children were the dunces to his majesty. Crossing her arms over her chest, she began to speak in the authoritative voice that Goten knew meant business. "Bardock, the three of us are going to fly into the city together. We are going to shop together, and together we will go to Gohan's school. Goten and I will wait outside for you while you run in Gohan's lunch to him. Then, we'll go home. Got it?"

Goten started happily jumping up and down, cheering his mother on until he froze to innocently question her. "But Mama, you don't like to ride on nimbus anymore. How are you going to get there?"

"Easy," Chi-Chi smirked when Bardock cracked an irritated eye open to glare at the woman before him. "Your grandfather here is going to carry me."

"Hell no!" Bardock spat, closing his eyes and rotating his body over so his back was facing in new found family. "Hell. No. That's a pathetic proposal if you ask me. You don't wanna fly, there's no point of you going. And neither is there one for me."

"You really think I want to?" Chi-Chi spat back, and Goten nudged a little closer to her for support. "Look, I need to keep an eye on you so you won't make a big scene. Plus, if you don't listen to me, there will be no food period. You got that? You're better off waiting for your next travel, bud, if this is the attitude you want to keep up with!"

Goten gasped loudly, horror overtaking his eyes. "Mama, no! You don't really mean that, do you?"

"Of course I do!" She ignored her son's tears in fear her immense toughness would fade at the sight. "It's all up to your grandfather now."

Bardock's eyes were completely open, but were overtaken with eye spasms with a large vein pulsating on his forehead to match. Although this woman had already begun to irritate him to no end, he couldn't lie to himself. Kakarot had chosen a strong female among a planet of weaklings, who never once had an ounce of fear in her eyes when standing up to him. The Saiyan gulped, suddenly realizing that she was serious about her ultimatum as well. "Fine!" The word was muffled in the cushion.

"What's that?" The feminine sing-song voice rang in his ears, causing him to sit up abruptly, scowling like a spoiled child who for once didn't get his way.

"I said fine!" Bardock roared, now standing up and facing the female before him. He towered above her so she needed to look up to see him, and from his height he could see the soft wrinkles beginning to form underneath her determined eyes. A strand of hair had gently fallen against the side of her face, most likely after cooking his breakfast. It still baffled him how such a dainty woman could hold her own against the full-blooded Saiyan warrior, who still had his killer instincts brewing inside him. He stared into her deadly eyes with the same amount of poison in his for a moment until his aching stomach caused him to sigh. "I said fine."

Chi-Chi flashed a brilliant smile up at her father-in-law. "I know you Saiyans so well. Your hungry rules everything around you!" Her laughter was contagious to Goten as she reached her hand down to engulf his little one. "Come on, boys! My son needs me!"

Bardock blinked a couple times, watching the Kakarot Jr. and his mother double check Gohan's lunch before she secured it in her large purse. True, the woman did know quite a lot about Saiyans, but Bardock wasn't sure if it was hunger or something strange that was making his stomach ache.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Saiyan awkwardly held the human in his arms like a infant with a scowl on his face as they flew at an alarming rate over the land of Mount Paozu. He offered to hold her by the leg, or some other body part, but the spoiled woman just wouldn't cooperate. Thankfully, she kept her arms securely around her purse and not anywhere on him. At least he could handle that.

Flying to the left of him was the small boy on his yellow cloud, laughing and waving down at all the animals who seemingly smiled back at him. He pointed towards a nest on a mountain with excitement. "That's my friend, Chobi" His finger was aiming at a small baby pterodactyl.

"Hey, kid!"

"Huh?" Goten looked away from his dinosaur friend to see the profile of his grandfather, the wind whipping them both and causing their hair to blow all over the place.

"Nobody cares."

Chi-Chi slapped Bardock's chest with one hand as hard as she could. "Shame on you, Bardock! Show some interest in your youngest grandson! These are important years of his life, you know, and he needs the attention!"

Bardock rolled his eyes, not wanting to look down at the complaining woman in his arms. "On Planet Vegeta, we could care less about what ours boys were blabbing about and they turned out just fine."

Chi-Chi scoffed. "Oh, I highly doubt that. You turned out awful."

"You run your mouth a lot for someone who could drop to their death any second now."

"Don't worry, Mama!" Goten spoke up, sending daggers Bardock's way. "If he tries anything funny, I'll save you!"

Chi-Chi stuck her tongue out at Bardock triumphantly, causing him to snarl at her. The three remained quiet for the next forty minutes, but Bardock's thoughts were racing a mile a minute. He occasionally glanced over at the young boy, and each time he looked Goten was glaring at him. The male was starting to become agitated.

Does this toddler really think he can hold his own against me? He's like, what, two?

"Bardock!" Chi-Chi's voice broke his mental conversation as she pointed down below them. "Land right here, it's the last place we're hidden from public eye before reaching the city limits."

Grudingly following orders, Bardock levitated down to the grassy meadow beneath them. Skyscrapers towered above the numerous trees while the sound of racing cars filled his ears. As soon as they left the baron land, he would be in the same place he landed. The place where he met the Great Saiyaman.

Chi-Chi bit her bottom lip as the trio left the wooded area behind them, coming up behind one of her favorite super markets. She was slightly ahead of Bardock and Goten, who sent the flying nimbus to go exploring on its own. Turning around with her hands on her hips, her voice was stern. "Now listen, boys. We're in the public eye now, meaning you have to act like humans. Got that? No fighting, no powers, and especially no Super Saiyans!"

"Don't worry, Mama!" Goten scratched the back of his head, nervous laughter escaping his lips remembering a particular training session with Chi-Chi. "I won't turn into a little monster!"

Bardock looked at the happy little boy beside him, stunned. "You... can become a Super Saiyan?" He blinked a couple of times, searching the child up and down until his eyes settled again on his sparkling eyes. He started laughing cruelly. "You crack me up, kid. There's no way in hell a little thing like you can have that much power right now."

"Oh yeah!?" Goten said, defensively standing between Bardock and Chi-Chi. "Want me to show you!?"

"No!" Chi-Chi scolded her son, lightly smacking him upside his head still knowing even if she hit him hard it wouldn't hurt one bit. "What did you just finish promising me?"

The child lowered his head down to his boots in shame. "I'm sorry, Mama."

Chi-Chi bent down to kiss Goten on his forehead, reaching her hand out for him to grab. "You can show your grandfather your little move later, okay? We need to get the groceries and hurry over to Gohan so he won't fail due to starvation!"

"Oh nooo!" Goten's eyes widened, pulling his mother's hand towards the large building of the super market. "Let's go, let's go!" He looked over his shoulder at the still frozen Bardock, motioning for him to follow. "Come on, Grandpa! I know you're not that slow!"

The Saiyan shook his head, regaining his composure. Surely, it was all a bluff. It had to be. There was no chance a child, especially a half-human one, could possess the power of a Super Saiyan. "The kid probably wants to impress his good ol' grandpa." Bardock smirking, and shrugged the boy's annoying claims off his mind before following his two annoyances.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Can I get more apples, Mama?" Goten pointed to the crate beside him with an eager finger, a hopeful gleam in his eyes while his mother walked past them, and for good reason.

"No, sweetie." Chi-Chi continued pushing the cart down the aisle, humming a tune that made Bardock's eye spasm once more. While keeping a careful eye on his mother's disappearing back, Goten slyly picked an apple from the crate and began stuffing it inside his gi when his grandfather came up behind him and backhanded him.

"Ow!" Goten whined, the apple falling from his hand as he rubbed the sore spot. "What did you do that for!? Grandpa's are suppose to be nice, they're not suppose to hit their grandsons!"

Bardock rolled his eyes, and bent down to pick up the fallen apple. Shaking it in front of the crying boy's face, he snarled. "Are you fucking kidding me!? Don't you remember what happened this morning when you tried eating one of these?"

"BARDOCK!" Chi-Chi was suddenly in front of them, her hands placed on her hips in her signature stance. Behind her was an almost-full cart, and for the life of him Bardock couldn't figure out how she moved so fast. "Are you trying to make my poor baby choke again!? Get that apple out of his face, he doesn't want it!"

"I WASN'T!" Bardock snapped back, causing two women behind him to whisper to themselves about married couples and their issues. He pointed a finger on his free hand to the crying child. "The spawn was trying to sneak it in his clothes!"

Chi-Chi was absolutely livid, the anger clear on her features that Goten recognized all too well. "Excuse me!? My son would never do a thing like that!" She looked down at the child with hopeful eyes. "Isn't that right, sweetie? Tell me he's lying."

Goten sniffed, looking from one angry adult to the other angry adult. The pain on his head made his answer all too clear once his eyes settled on his mama. "Yes, he wanted me to eat it so I would die again!"

"What!?" Bardock snapped, taking a menacing step towards the boy who just stuck his tongue out at him. Chi-Chi smiled proudly, nodding in approval of her young son.

"Of course he did," she looked around self-consciously at the other shoppers beginning to stare and blushed slightly. "And I'll punish him once we're home. But for now, let's just pay and get out of here. I think I've had enough of the city today." She pushed her cart past Bardock, but not before giving him the death glare.

The Saiyan hissed at her as she began heading towards the cash registers, and then glared down at his deceptive grandson. "You little lying bastard!" Bardock grabbed the boy by the collar of gi, lifting him off his feet slightly. "I knew not to trust you!"

Goten continued to stick his tongue out at the angry man, and then laughed so innocently. "You don't scare me, Grandpa! Mama does!"

Bardock searched the eyes of the young boy, surprised to see no deceit and only his normal joyful gleam. He dropped the boy back on his feet, but his eyes remained cold and hard. "I'm your worst nightmare, kid."

"No!" Goten giggled. "My worst nightmare is having no food!"

Dumbfounded, all Bardock could do was blink. This small child absolutely had no fear for him, and it both appalled and angered him but the combination of the two only left him looking stumped. As hard as he's been trying, the happiness of the kid could not be broken.

"Can you eat the apple whole, Grandpa!?"

"Huh?"

"The apple!" Goten pointed to the red fruit still in Bardock's hand with laughter. "Can you eat it like you did this morning?"

The Saiyan's growling stomach took control of his hand as he swallowed the apple whole, causing the boy to clap his hands in excitement. "Yay, yay!" Goten continued clapping, and then reached a hand out to Bardock. "Let's go! I bet Mama has already paid!"

Bardock awkwardly extended his hand downward, trying to mimic what Chi-Chi had done earlier. His large hand engulfed the cold flesh of his grandson's small one, and the boy dragged him down the aisle in the direction of where his mother disappeared to. On their way, the two women looked at him in shock, having witnessed him swallow an entire apple.

"What!?" He snapped at them on his way down, and they quickly looked away while turning a brilliant red. The shorter of the two looked at her friend with disappointed, and mumbled under her breath.

"How come the one time we find a handsome man in a grocery store, he's a crank with a wife and son!?"  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"How do you plan on carrying all of that shit back home?" Bardock eyed the groceries in Chi-Chi's cart. "I'm sure as hell not lugging it."

"Language!" Chi-Chi huffed, sending daggers towards her father-in-law. A smug look suddenly crossed her face. "Oh, I get it. You're not strong enough to carry it all."

Bardock's eyebrows furrowed, glaring at the authoritative female. "You sure about that?"

Chi-Chi shrugged. "I dunno," she winked down at her happy son. "But oh well. Goten sure is."

Bardock mumbled under his breath, looking away from his daughter-in-law. Taking the silence as a sign of defeat, Chi-Chi beamed and placed her hands on the handles of the cart. "Alright, boys! Gohan's school is straight down the road-"

"Mama!" Goten whined, his hands placed in between his legs as he hopped from foot to foot. "I need to pee!"

"Right now!?" Chi-Chi sounded exasperated as she looked back at the super market. "Sweetie, can you hold it just a bit longer? Mama doesn't want to go back in there to see all those people again."

Goten shook his wildly, the rhythm of his hopping matching. "No! I need to go, now!"

Chi-Chi sighed, looking around until her eyes settled on the alley between the two buildings in front of them. "Alright, Goten. Follow me." She looked at Bardock, touching his shoulder to get his attention. "Can you watch the groceries while I take him behind the dumpster?"

"Don't you guys have a law on throwing away children?"

Ignoring his comment, Chi-Chi grabbed her son's hand and the two disappeared down the alley. Bardock didn't watch them; he was distracting by the raw pork chops on perfect display in one of the plastic bags. He licked his lips, reaching down to pull the beautiful meat out of the cart. Easily ripping open the package, he began gnawing on one of the bloody chops, causing the pedestrians to look at him in disgust.

"Take a picture," he said with a muffled voice as he took another harsh bite. "You can treasure me forever."

A woman's screams caused the Saiyan's ears to perk up, and he felt Chi-Chi's ki, although low, sky-rocketing due to her fear. He was about to dart down the alley, but remembered the precious groceries. Grabbing the handle, he charged his way towards the dumpsters to find his daughter-in-law coward against the dead-end wall, with his tiny grandson standing protectively in front of her as two armed men surrounded them. The sound of Bardock's scoffed caused them to jump around.

"Seriously?" Bardock raised an eyebrow, taking another bite of raw meat. "The whole murdering in an alley thing is cheesy, don't you think?"

The sight of the tall, muscular male with blood dripping down his lips caused one of the thug's to tremble, his gun shaking along with him. "B-Boss, what the hell is he?"

The taller of the two thugs looked over Bardock with a smirk. "Don't worry, Pete. He's an idiot, that's what he is!" The 'boss' laughed, twirling his gun. "Look at him! He's so scared, he's hiding behind a grocery cart!"

Feeling protective over his food, Bardock leaped in front of the cart so he was standing before the two criminals. "Alright, this is getting obscene. Why don't-" Bardock paused, his eye spasms reoccuring when he finally got a good glimpse of Goten. The thugs must have caught him mid-relief because his pants, along with his underwear, were pulled down to his ankles. "Dammit kid! Pull your fucking pants up!"

Seeking the opportunity, Pete aimed at Bardock's chest and shot him four times in a row, using up all his bullets. Chi-Chi screamed in horror as she watched her father-in-law collapse on the paved surface. Ignoring the fact the muggers were there, she ran and knelt by his side. "Oh, Bardock!" Her eyes began to water, but she immediately regained her composure when she saw that there wasn't a trace of blood on Bardock's armor. Not even a dent. Chuckling darkly, he opened his eyes to give her a wink.

"You idiot!" Chi-Chi snarled, smacking him upside the head. "You're just like your son, you know that!" Rolling her eyes, she stood up and backed herself against the wall. "Alright, tough guys. Show them what you're made of already, my poor boy is waiting on his food - and no killing, Bardock!"

Rolling his eyes, the Saiyan jumped to his feet and cracked his knuckles. The terrified expressions coming from both men after his 'resurrection' sent a joy through him that he had not experienced since his crew last killed together. Not wanting to have all the fun, he glanced over at his grandson who was hurriedly pulling up his pants. "Which one do you want, kid?"

"Uhm, the tall one!" Goten beamed, clapping his hands together in excitement.

"Damn, that's the one I wanted!"

"Well we can rock, paper, scissors for it?"

"ENOUGH!" Boss bellowed, and fired shots at the young boy who swatted them away like they're flies. Only one managed to touch his skin, and it stung like an annoying insect. The tall thug blinked in disbelief. "T-Those were all my bullets..."

"Shit, you too!?" Pete nearly cried. "Wh-what do we do?"

"I don't know!" Boss began to back himself away from the two with Saiyan blood flowing through them. "They ain't normal!"

"Perfect time to show me your Super Saiyan form, kid!" Bardock nodded at Goten, who returned it seriously. The ground below trembled slightly as Bardock watched with wide eyes at the transformation of the young child taking place. The golden hair stood up as predominately as his green eyes did, the powerful aura surrounding him proudly.

"Well I'll be damned..." Bardock mused, while the two muggers screamed bloody murder and tried climbing over the wall. Seeing the two trying to escape, Chi-Chi called out to the two fighters.

"HEY! DON'T LET THE THUGS GET AWAY!"

The boys looked at the muggers trying their hardest to climb the wall with smirks growing on their faces. "What do you suppose we do?" Bardock asked his glowing grandson.

"Well, they didn't really hurt us and Mama said not to kill them," Goten scratched his chin, deep in thought. "I guess we could just place them high up on a building and have the police take care of them?"

Bardock rolled his eyes, while Chi-Chi beamed with pride at her son's plan. "That's my boy! You're always doing the right thing, aren't you?" Hearing police sirens in the background, panic sweat began forming on her forehead. "Quick! We need to get out of here!"

"Niiiiimbus!" Goten called, the cloud appearing immediately before him as he hopped on top.

The two Saiyans grabbed one of each mugger: Goten by the collar, Bardock by the neck fat. They levitated up to the tall building beside them, Bardock slamming Pete down hard on the roof while Goten placed Boss gently beside him. "I hope you learned your lesson!" Goten giggled on their way down back to Chi-Chi while they stared down at them with horror.

"Nice job, boys!" Chi-Chi clasped her hands together while Goten returned to his base form. "Bardock, grab the cart! Goten will grab me and we'll land on the other side of this wall!" She pointed at the area where the two men were trying to escape to.

Not wanting to hear her nag anymore today, Bardock did as he was instructed as Goten lifted his mother up onto his cloud. The trio managed to escape before the police arrived, but not fast enough to unknowingly have a girl with black pigtails watching them with shock.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"This is it!" Chi-Chi sighed, collapsing on the grass in front of the building beside her shopping cart. "I have Gohan's room number right here." She handed a slip of paper over to Bardock, who took it reluctantly but then shred it to pieces.

Before Chi-Chi could argue with him, he held out a hand to stop her. "I can sense his ki; it's the strongest one in there." He pointed at the high school, taking the brown paper bag from Goten's small hands.

"We'll wait for you out here, Grandpa!" Goten smiled warmly, waving him off. The boy watched with awe as Bardock pushed his way through the glass doors, heading down an empty hall of green lockers.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Gohan fiddled with his thumbs, anxiously looking out the window of his classroom every few minutes. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous, it's not like his mother could make it to Satan City while he was still in school.

"Hey, did ya hear? The Gold Fighter made another appearance this morning!"

Gohan's heart nearly dropped to his stomach as his two male classmates in front of him began whispering to each other.

"Oh, yeah! I heard alright. I also heard the Great Saiyaman stopped some dude from killing the whole city, too! Heard that dude fell straight from the sky!"

Gohan's thumping heart calmed down slightly when Sharpener, a few seats away from him, scoff. "You two need to lay off the energy boosters. There's no way that could be true." The long blonde hair teen relaxed back in his seat, kicking his feet up on the desk. "Just a bunch of people bored with their lives."

"Yeah!" Gohan smiled awkwardly in his direction, and then back at the two boys in front of him. "Just fantasy!" He laughed nervously, causing the gossipers to look at him strangely before turning to face the front again. Erasa giggled, pinching his arm.

"Why are you acting so silly, handsome? Is it because Videl's not here?"

The teen had noticed the girl who constantly kept a keen eye on him wasn't in her usual spot, but she wasn't on the top of Gohan's worries at the moment. "N-No," he laughed again. "But speaking of Videl, where is she?"

"Oh, I guess you missed it, since you're always a few minutes late and all!" Erasa twirled her hair with a finger, winking at him. "She got a call as soon as the bell rang about two guys that have been going around the city mugging people!"

The teen frowned, wishing he knew. "Gosh, I hope she's okay."

Erasa pinched his shoulder and giggled again. "Of course she is! She's Mr. Satan's daughter, after all!"

That caused Gohan to become more uneasy, but he didn't reply. Suddenly, the door of the classroom opened slowly, causing Gohan's heart rate to sky-rocket but it calmed down as soon as he saw Videl making her way up the stairs to her seat. She looked more pensive than usual, and she threw her book down on her desk.

"What's wrong with you, girl?" Erasa whispered, raising an eyebrow. "Did the muggers get away?"

"No!" She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "But you wouldn't believe it! I saw two guys scare the living daylights out of them and they placed them on top of Gordi's Restaurant before I could have a chance to beat on them!"

Gohan twitched, watching the girls in the corner of his eye.

"What!" Erasa gasped, dropping her pencil. "Gordi's Restaurant!? That's the tallest building in the city! How did they manage to get them up there?"

"They flew!" Videl snapped her pen in half while Gohan sweatdropped. "Well, one did. The other was on a cloud. I couldn't make out one of the guys, but the small one I definitely could. You won't believe it- It was another gold fighter! A tiny one like a child! And that's not all! I saw two other ones this morning! The original and his friend!"

Gohan let out yelp, but it was blocked out by the loud gasps around him.

"No way!" Sharpener gaped, shaking his head in disbelief.

The teen began to sink lower into his chair as Videl continued to tell her classmates about her morning experiences. The female professor had gotten to use to the students ignoring her, that she returned the favor by carelessly reading a magazine.

Crap, crap, crap! Could this get anymore worse!

The door of the classroom burst open with great fury, causing the class to fall silent as all eyes were on the intruder. Gohan was frozen in his seat as the messy-haired, scar faced Saiyan was holding the now infamous brown paper bag he left on the table earlier this morning.

"Ooh, he's cute!" Erasa giggled. "I wonder who he is!"

"My grandfather." Gohan choked out, causing the few around him to gasp.

"Grandfather!?" Erasa looked in bewilderment at the stranger, and blushed wildly while whispering to Videl. "Oh my gosh, if that's what the grandfather looks like, just imagine the father!"

The blue eyed girl was too busy focusing on the stranger to pay attention to her friend. Her eyes narrowed on him, taking note that he was wearing the same strange outfit as the other gold fighter. Slowly glancing away from him, she peered over at Gohan through Erasa and scowled.

The blonde professor stood up, soothing down her green skirt as she made her way towards Bardock. "May I help you, sir?"

He pointed a finger at Gohan, and everyone's eyes were now on the sweaty teen. "Yeah, the poor baby's mommy wanted me to deliver him his lunch."

The class erupted in laughter, as the half-Saiyan prayed to Dende that he could turn into a puddle and just slip through the cracks.


	5. Your Father is on Earth, Goku!

"I'm impressed, Goku." The green warrior crossed his arms over his chest, smirking at the way Goku was successfully doing katas in the air with forty tons of weight clinging to his body. He shook his head in amazement, still not able to believe he finally encountered such a strong opponent in Other World. "Really impressed."

The messy-haired Saiyan chuckled wholeheartedly, momentarily freezing mid-stance to smile down at Pikkon. "Hey, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be up here training so hard!" He wiped a drop of sweat off his forehead. "Phew. This place has really opened my eyes."

Pikkon's smirk grew, and he turned his back on Goku so the Saiyan could keep training. The back of his white robes gently swayed against the random breeze that touched Grand Kai's planet as he walked towards a shaded tree. After doing some of his own training, he was prepared to take a few minutes to rest before starting again. However, as he approached the giant tree, the familiar short stature of a Shin-jin fiddling his teal fingers together under the shade caught his eye.

"King Kai?" Pikkon spoke with slight concern as he approached him, noticing he looked pensive. "What's wrong?"

"Ohh, this isn't good!" King Kai shook his head slowly, focusing on his fingers. "This is not good."

Pikkon scratched the back of his head, not quite sure what to say. He cleared his throat. "Do you want me to get Goku?"

The eyes hidden behind sunglasses snapped up to Pikkon suddenly, as if finally realizing he was there. The antennaed creature looked the green warrior up and down, his nervous hand finally resting on his sides in the form of fists. "Yes. Tell him there's a problem on Earth."

Pikkon's eyes widened, understanding now why King Kai was so tense. He knew Earth was a much beloved place to Goku and the Shin-jin, and knowing it was in harm's way caused the warrior to quickly make a mad dash through the sky to find the Saiyan still perfecting his kicks. Goku swung his leg around in a roundhouse kick abruptly, and it would have knocked Pikkon back a few feet if he did not catch Goku's boot with his hand. Feeling the grip, Goku looked over his shoulder in confusion. "What's up, Pikkon? You wanna spar or something?"

"No," Pikkon frowned. "King Kai needs to speak to you. Your home planet is in trouble."

A mixture of worry and pain crossed the Saiyan's face, but he kept his calm composure as the two levitated to the ground. Earth was currently in a seven year long period of peace with him gone, and even if something came up, Goku knew in his heart that his son and the other Z Fighters were strong enough to protect it. But that was only if it wasn't serious trouble. Goku's frown deepened.

If it's not serious, why would King Kai need to talk to me?

The two fighters approached the tree where Pikkon had found King Kai earlier, and the mentor looked directly at the green one. "Would you mind leaving us alone, Pikkon? It's a bit personal."

Goku and Pikkon blinked a couple of times, with the Saiyan's head tilted to the side in confusion. "Personal?"

"Mmhm," King Kai nodded.

The green warrior nodded in return, detecting the serious tone in the usual silly man. He placed a strong hand on Goku's shoulder before taking off the other direction.

Once King Kai saw they were alone, he began to speak to Goku. "Has anyone ever told your birth father?"

Goku scratched the back of his head, trying to recall a significant event. "Well," he crossed his arms over his chest. "Frieza said he recognized me as a Saiyan because I looked exactly like a guy he had a skirmish with before, but that's pretty much it."

"That's all?" King Kai frowned, staring down at his little feet. A small vein was beginning throb on his forehead. "So nobody has ever told you his name or what kind of person he is?"

The Saiyan sighed, not exactly sure why King Kai was asking about a man he never knew. "No," Goku clenched his hands tightly, a sudden flashback of Raditz, Nappa, and the old Vegeta popping up in his mind. "But if he's a Saiyan, I'm sure he was a ruthless killing machine."

The vein increased as King Kai slowly looked up to see the upset Goku staring right back down at him. He pouted, annoyed by the fact he had no knowledge of Goku's father besides his name and where he was at now. However, he knew all about Saiyans - especially those who weren't changed by Earth, the ones who died from the explosion of Planet Vegeta.

And that was enough to make his skin crawl and panic sweat to form all over his body.

Watching the teal man shake, Goku was becoming more confused by the minute. "King Kai? Sorry to bother you, but why are you asking me so many questions about him? It seems pretty random to me."

"His name is Bardock," King Kai finally spoke, not taking his eyes off the Saiyan before him. He gulped before continuing. "He's on Earth right now, alive and well. I'm not sure why or how, Goku, but he must have survived Frieza's Supernova." King Kai chuckled, but it was full of defeat. "I mean, we've seen stranger things before! Right Goku?" His nervous laughter continued, but he froze when he saw the frozen Saiyan. "Goku?"

"Where is he?" Goku's voice was monotone, but King Kai could still sense the concern he was trying to hide behind his stone features.

"Before you start wondering, I need to tell you something-"

"Where is he?"

King Kai sighed. "He's with Gohan right now."

Goku took a deep breath and closed his eyes, not wanting to overreact to something uncalled for. If he was with Gohan, whatever that meant, his son defeated a monster at the tender age of eleven that was much more powerful than any of those Saiyans from Planet Vegeta. Bardock should be no concern. Reopening his eyes, they settled on King Kai and the mentor relaxed when he saw the usual kindness in Goku's orbs. "Then there's nothing to worry about, right!?"

"That's what I was trying to tell you!" King Kai jumped up slightly, pointing an angry finger at the Saiyan. "As much as the fact that a previous murderer has found his way to your family, his heart is starting to change because of them, too."

The messy-haired one suddenly burst out in laughter, causing King Kai to glare. "Then why the heck did you scare me like that!? Looking all scared and everything!"

"Goku, that-s- STOP LAUGHING! ... There, that's better. As I was saying, although his heart is starting to beat, there is still some evil residing in it just like our dear friend Vegeta. Although we both know Vegeta is pretty much tamed by Bulma, Bardock doesn't feel much love for your family and could easily give in to his dark side."

Goku nodded, understanding fully what King Kai meant. A sudden image of Piccolo and Gohan appeared in his mind. "Yeah," he smiled warmly, his eyes overlooking Grand Kai's planet as if he could somehow see his family just beyond the clouds. "But you don't know what they're capable of."

The two were silent for awhile, enjoying the feeling of the gentle breeze as it touched their skin. "Oh!" King Kai finally remembered the other reason he wanted to talk to Goku, and a giant grin crossed his tiny features. Goku looked down at him, equally happy and excited to hear what his old mentor had to say. "Baba came by the other day. She said after all that you've done, you're granted a free one-day pass to visit Earth!"

Maybe your big goofy self can show your father who's the boss while you're at it.

The trademark wild-eyed look Goku always had as a child gleamed in his eyes as he began to jump up and down in joy. "Alright! Just in time, too!" He froze mid-air, staring with gratefulness at King Kai. "Do you think you could help me speak to Gohan later so I can tell him the good news?"

King Kai nodded, but although there was a smile on his face, Goku could sense his pensiveness. With his grin widening, Goku called up from his high distance. "Hey, King Kai!"

"What!?"

"Have you ever tried to eat a clock? It's very time consuming!"

The teal man doubled over in laughter, turning bright red in the face as he was unable to control himself. Goku just winked down at his now happy mentor, and flew off to spar Pikkon.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Is it alright if I give it to the baby?" Bardock hissed, speaking to the professor but not taking his eyes off the embarrassed teenager. The woman blushed at the brutish male before her, unsure of how she was suppose to feel. She knew she wasn't suppose to have a stranger in the room without a visitor's badge, but she secretly had a grudge against Gohan for all the times he's left her class to go 'pee'.

"Alright," she smiled warmly, and winked. "I believe there's an empty seat beside him. You can stay until the end of the lecture, if you'd like?"

The scarred Saiyan finally looked at the blonde professor, slightly amused by the wickedness of her voice and openness to torture Gohan. A smirk crossed his face as he nodded, and began making his way up to his grandson's row.

"Is he a foreigner?" A curly haired girl whispered to her best friend beside her, chewing on her gum loudly as she watched Bardock. "Look at his clothes!"

"Yeah," the girl blushed, noticing said clothes outlined his muscles. "A cute foreigner, at that!" The girls busted out with fits of laughter, causing Bardock to stop and glare at them until they stopped. Rolling his eyes, he continued until he made it to the empty seat beside Gohan, at the end of the row. The teen watched with horrified eyes as Bardock plopped the brown bag on his desk and took a seat.

"What are you doing here!?" Gohan whispered harshly, focusing only his grandfather although well aware of all the eyes ogling them. "How'd you find me!?"

"Among a city of weaklings, your ki stands out like a sore thumb." Bardock scoffed, shrugging his shoulders. "Besides, your mother wouldn't prepare any more food if I didn't take her and the spawn to this shitty place."

Gohan gulped, his redness deepening. "Crap, they're here, too!?"

"Outside." The words were bluntly spoken.

The teen sunk even lower into his seat, the action causing Videl a few seats over to get a good glimpse at the strange male. Her scowl deepened as she realized something about the other gold fighter from this morning. "HEY!"

Startled, Gohan sat up straighter and tried to block Bardock from Videl's sight. "Oh, hey Videl! How's it going? Keeping crime off the street?" He started laughing nervously, causing Bardock to smack him in the head. "OW!"

Ignoring the awkward boy, Videl stretched her neck up to see the so-called 'grandfather' returning her glare.

It's that crazy woman from this morning... Just fucking great. Why does my grandson have to surround himself with them?

Videl cleared her throat, and then spoke harshly again. "Excuse me, I said 'hey'."

"What!?" Bardock hissed, and Erasa giggled while poking Gohan on the shoulder. The teen looked up at her in pained eyes.

"Looks like we're caught in the middle of madness!" She giggled, and Gohan couldn't believe just how right she was. Not including his mother and Vegeta (whom were on a whole other level), they were sandwiched between two of the most determined and stubborn people he had ever met. They looked at Videl. "You know, I find it kind of suspicious that both you and Gohan are both wearing outfits extremely similar to the two Gold Fighters I saw this morning." Her blue eyes narrowed in our prey. "Really weird, isn't it?"

They looked at Bardock, Gohan internally screaming while Erasa's pupils dilated at her definition of a perfect man. She had to remind herself that he was a grandfather multiple times whenever she had the urge to ask for his number.

Before the Saiyan spoke, he looked at Gohan's pleading eyes with disgust. As much as he wanted to beat his grandson, he had to remind himself the kid probably had a hard time already trying to fit in with these pathetic weaklings. He wasn't the next of kin that he desired, but he still had Saiyan blood running through his veins. Bardock sighed and shrugged. "Well, what can I tell ya? We're really, really big fans."

Shocked, Gohan mouthed a silent 'thank you' while Sharpener laughed harshly. "Of course an old geezer would want to relive his glory days pretending to the Gold Fighter. I mean, what do you expect? His grandson is a complete dor-"

"BARDOCK!" Gohan jumped to his feet and wrapped his hands around his grandfather's waist, trying to pry him off of the long-haired boy. The Saiyan's strong, calloused hands were wrapped tightly around the blonde jock's neck, and the poor teen was gasping for air as terrified tears began to swell in his eyes. For everything she stood for, Videl truly wanted to help but she was frozen in awe at the brute strength from both men. Even though she thankfully wasn't the victim, she could actually feel it.

What are they?!

Bardock's eyes widened as he felt himself beginning to pull away from Sharpener against his own will, realizing his grandson was the reason behind it. "Have you no pride?" Bardock snapped, his hands beginning to slip from Sharpener's neck as he looked behind his shoulder at Gohan. "What do you care about this pathetic human?"

Videl raised an eyebrow, growing more suspicious by the minute.

Human?

Seeing the familiar look growing on her face, Gohan panicked and used all his strength to pull Bardock. The two went flying back, crashing against the wall while the students and professor gaped at them.

"You little shit!" Bardock snarled, getting to his feet while picking up Gohan by his collar. "You're going to pay for that!"

"Hey!" The professor finally spoke up, marching her way over to the men with her hands planted on her hips. "If you two are going through personal issues, please take it outside!"

"Gladly!" Bardock snapped, dragging Gohan away by his collar towards the door. His classmates remained silent their entire way out the door, some stifling in laughter while tended to the attacked Sharpener. Slamming the door behind him, Bardock slammed Gohan against one of the green lockers in front of them and snarled. "Where do you get off trying to save a stupid human!?"

You protected his human mother today, you idiot.

The teenager blinked, trying to regain his composure. He knew Bardock wasn't mad about him trying to protect a 'weakling', but more so that he went against him and damaged his pride slightly. Gohan knew this all too well, thinking of Vegeta. He stared down at his feet, unable to look into the eyes of his angry grandfather. "I'm sorry, Bardock. I just can't do anything to stick out here. I promised my mom. I just want to live a normal life with my diploma, not... fight." He looked up finally, his voice finally finding the strength to remain firm. "I'm really sorry. It wasn't about disrespecting you, honestly."

Bardock's eyes widened in disbelief at the words. A Saiyan not wanting to fight!? A Saiyan wanting to settle down to a 'normal' life style!?

What the fuck does that mean anyway? Normal?

The full-blooded Saiyan scoffed, realizing how his grandson also contained half of pathetic human blood inside him. "You're already far from normal, kid. You know that, don't you?" He turned his gaze away from a spec on the floor to look into his grandson's eyes sternly, as if he was scolding him. "You're always going to have Saiyan blood in you no matter what lifestyle you choose to live."

Gohan stood up straight, now equal in height with his grandfather he still hardly knew anything about but could still see pain forming in his dark orbs. "You don't know how proud I am to have Saiyan blood. My dad is the greatest man I have ever known," Gohan smiled when he saw Bardock's expression soften. "But you also need to understand how proud I am to have my mom's blood mixed in there, too. I love her, and I'd do anything to keep her happy and safe."

Bardock felt that odd sensation in his stomach again and winced, taking a few steps back from his half-blooded grandson. The sound of her screaming when the muggers cornered her in the alley rang through his ears, the way she ran to his side when he faked being wounded was all to clear in his mind. She wanted to protect him from danger knowing full well only her life was at risk. When he ran to her, his only concern was her being alive to make him food.

That was the truth.

Wasn't it?

He gripped his head tightly as the vision of Chi-Chi running towards him was replaced by Berry being kicked by Lord Chilled. The way the innocent villagers who healed him were getting pounded left and right, some losing their lives, drove him to the point of madness where he finally found the strength he needed against Frieza.

"Are you alright?" Gohan reached a hand out to touch Bardock's shoulder, and to his surprise the pained man let it remain. "

Finally standing up straight, Bardock shook his head so his eyes regained focus from his sudden remembrance. "I like the future much fucking better," he mumbled under his breath.

"What's that, now?"

Bardock snarled, removing Gohan's hand finally. "Nothing, kid. Just pissed about what you did in there, but I'll take it out on you later." He turned his back, ready to exit from the door he came in through. He looked over his shoulder, the words at the tip of his tongue struggling to break through. "I'll... watch out for them. You just keep making your mom proud."

Shit, what the hell is wrong with me?

Gohan watched in disbelief as his grandfather's back disappear as he darted out the halls, presumably back to where his mother and brother were waiting on him. A slow, childish grin began to grow on the young man's face as he realized Bardock complimented him for the first time. He may not be making his straight up Saiyan elder proud, but Bardock recognized how much pride Chi-Chi held in him. And that was enough.

"Hey, Bardock!"

The Saiyan stopped abruptly, looking over his shoulder with a scowl on his face in the same manner as before.

Oh great, time for his cheesy shit! Nice going, Bardock. Nice going.

Oh man, I hope this doesn't sound cheesy!

"Would you like to see an old friend of yours after school? I think it would do your soul some good."

"Friend?" Bardock's eyes narrowed.

"Yeah," Gohan scratched the back of his head nervously. "Well, I think he was. His name is Vegeta, the prince of your planet."

Bardock's scowl deepened as he remembered the arrogant little prince, but was slightly fond of his father. They were royalty, and definitely didn't let anyone forget. Especially the spoiled little prince. Of course, out of all the damn Saiyans left, he was the only one."He's not my friend."

Gohan's nervous laughter continued. "Well, he's always up for a good spar. Maybe you could finally test your new strength on him? I'd love to see what you've got before we go one on one again."

Bardock turned around so he was fully facing Gohan, albeit a few feet away. That actually sounded like a superb idea, perhaps finally getting the chance to punch the prince in the face. Had that strong warrior child grown into a stronger adult? There was only one way to find out. "Fine," Bardock smirked. "I'll be out in the front waiting for you."

Gohan smiled warmly before Bardock fully disappeared out of the high school. He reopeneed his classroom door; the students were excited until they saw he was alone and frowned. Their dose of drama was done for the day.

"What can I say?" His laughed, scratching the back of his head. "That old fool, he's cranky because he forgot to take his pills!"

Half the class laughed while the others nodded in understanding, causing Gohan to sigh in relief as he got to his feet and made his way back to his desk. The professor resumed her lecture after sending Sharpener to the nurse to make sure he was alright, and it was as if everyone had forgotten about the whole incident.

That is, everyone but a certain blue-eyed, black-haired girl who swore she saw a tail come loose from the strange man as he strangled her friend to near death. She shook her head.

No, that's just crazy...

She looked over Erasa to the boy beside her, who was writing furiously in his notebook to match the rhythm of the teacher's voice. Her eyes narrowed, and she made a silent promise to find the truth behind this weird family.


	6. Prince Vegeta Returns

"Go see if he's alright, Goten." Chi-Chi was staring out the window of her kitchen, finding this room of her home to be the place she most frequently was. The woman was fiddling with her thumbs, nervous for some unknown reason as she looked at her father-in-law. He was sitting on the grass, his back facing the house, and holding his head in his hands as if he was in terrible pain. She nudged the little boy's shoulder that was by her side. "It's okay sweetie, he likes you."

Goten looked up at his mother, looking at her with wide eyes that were shimmering. "Wow, you really think so?"

Chi-Chi smiled down at him, squeezing his shoulder. "Of course, Goten! Why wouldn't he?" The boy giggled as his mom reached down to pinch his cheek, and continued his happy laughter as he ran towards the door, shutting it gently behind him. Once seeing him appear by Bardock, she cracked the window open so she could hear the conversation they were going to have.

Goten placed his tiny hand on Bardock's broad shoulder, causing him to flinch slightly at the cold touch of the child's flesh. With his head still in his palms, Bardock peaked through his fingers to see his youngest grandson with his head tilted in that usual innocent fashion. Rolling his eyes, Bardock lowered his hands to his knees and sat up straight, trying to ignore the pain in his head. "Is your mom done cooking, yet!?"

"No!" Goten giggled, taking a seat on the grass beside his grandfather, crossing his legs in the same manner. "I came out to see if you were okay! You were holding your head like it was going to fall off or something!"

Bardock narrowed his eyes, focusing on the happy face of the child. His stomach twisted suddenly when an image of Berry suddenly appeared, but he shook the memory of the boy away. "Why do you laugh so much, kid?"

The boy shrugged, grinning ear to ear. "I dunno! I just like to, I guess!" He pointed a finger at Bardock, who was still scowling. "If I didn't, I would look like you all the time!"

A smirk grew across the adult Saiyan's face before he flashed his white teeth at the young boy. "Ah, I see. You don't want to be unbelievably good looking."

Goten doubled over in laughter, holding his stomach as his head dropped down to his knees. When he was calmed down enough, the boy sat up straight and wiped a single tear away from his eye. "You're so funny, Grandpa!"

Bardock crossed his arms over his armor-plated chest, narrowing his dark orbs at the red faced child. "It wasn't a joke, kid!"

"It's okay, Grandpa!" Goten smiled reassuringly, placing his small hand once again on Bardock's tensed up arm. "You don't look so scary when you smile!" His eyes widened as if he was terrified. "Oh, gosh! You wouldn't believe how creepy Trunks' dad looks when he smiles! Yikes!"

"...Trunks? What the fuck kind of name is Trunks?" Bardock could hear the faint growl of Chi-Chi coming from the kitchen window, but as usual ignored it.

"You don't know who Trunks is?" Goten gasped, as if this was major news. "He's only my most bestest friend in the world! His mom is so rich! His dad is mean, but I like him! He's a Saiyan, like us!" The boy jabbed a finger into Bardock's arm, and it suddenly clicked.

"So Vegeta named his son Trunks, eh?" Bardock shook his head, spitting to the side in disgust. "You would think he'd name the spawn Vegeta, Jr. or something."

"Why?" Goten tilted his head, leaning it against Bardock's arm even though he snarled in protest. "That sounds like a stupid name! Even more stupider than Bardock!"

The Saiyan snorted, trying not to actually let out a laugh. He allowed Goten to remain leaned up against him, the two watching clouds dance across the afternoon sun. "Are you stronger than Vegeta's kid?"

Goten gulped, not wanting to tell his grandfather the truth but not the one to lie, either. "Well..." He sweatdropped, ignoring the way Bardock's hard eyes were looking down at him. "Trunks is a little bit stronger because he's older..."

Bardock pulled back, grabbing the boy by his small shoulders so they were face to face. "Age and strength do not go hand in hand. If the visions I've had are true, Kakarot is stronger than that fool Vegeta, and he's a few years younger."

"Kakarot?" Goten tilted his head again. "What's that?"

The older Saiyan mentally slapped himself, forgetting the new name his son went by. "Your father! Hasn't anyone told you about your father?"

"Oh!" Goten grinned widely, his cheeks rosy. "You mean the angel!? His name is Goku!"

"Yeah, Goku..." Bardock rolled his eyes, but continued. "You know, it's kind of freaky looking at you. You're definitely his kid-" he used his strong peripheral vision to see the figure of the woman in the window. "At least you know your mother isn't loose."

"Loose?" Goten laughed, and looked over his shoulder at his now fuming mom. "Mama, what does he mean by that? Does that mean you're tight or-"

"BARDOCK!"

The Saiyan was now looking over his shoulder at Chi-Chi, who was now in the center of his gaze. His usual scowl overcame his features. "WHAT!?"

"HOW WOULD YOU LIKE SOME POISON IN YOUR FOOD!?"

"I WOULD LOVE IT!" Bardock winked at Goten, lowering his voice as the young child leaned in close to hear what he had to say. "Doesn't everything she make taste like poison?"

The boy broke out in a howl, causing Chi-Chi to leave the kitchen and come at them from the door, holding her weapon of choice up high as she approached the two. "What did you just whisper to my son!?" She aimed the broom at Bardock like it was a rifle. "You're an incredibly awful influence!"

"But Mama!" Goten grinned, standing up to hug her leg. "He said you're pretty!" The boy never lied, except when it came to special situations.

"WHAT!?" The two adults shouted at the same time, and the young boy gave a wink to his grandfather, the kind of wink that Bardock knew meant 'shut-the-hell-up-I'm-saving-your-ass'. It was the type of wink Tora used many times when Bardock would get a little too sassy with Frieza.

Good-looking out kid, but why the fuck did you have to go and say that!?

Chi-Chi blinked, looking at Bardock while her cheeks suddenly turned a bright pink. "Did... Did you really say that?" She lowered her broom, no longer showing any sign of wanting to murder him.

The Saiyan scratched the back of his head. He looked at Goten, who was nodding eagerly. "...Well, I didn't say you were ugly."

The worn out woman continued to stare at her seated father-in-law, feeling a little embarrassed she was about to beat on him. Sighing in defeat, she dropped her broom completely and reached out a hand to Bardock who just looked at it with blank eyes. Rolling her eyes, Chi-Chi waved her hand in front of his face. "I'm offering you help to stand up! Your third lunch is ready, you savage."

Bardock scoffed. "I don't need your help getting up, lady." His scowl deepened when Chi-Chi's hand wasn't moving, and annoyingly gripped it. Just as he figured, she struggled to lift him up. He raised an eyebrow at the struggling female. "You having some trouble, there?"

"You moron!" Chi-Chi huffed as she tugged on his hand. "You're at least suppose to try to get up! Haven't you ever had someone offer you their hand before!?"

The Saiyan stood up abruptly, causing the woman to fall down on her butt. "Oh no, my mommy!" Goten ran to her side, glaring up at Bardock. "Why did you make her fall!?"

"Move, kid!" Bardock ordered, and Goten backed off Chi-Chi while his grandfather offered her his hand. He was getting agitated as she just stared at it, dumbfounded. "Well, grab! I'm pretty sure you started this stupid ritual!"

As soon as her hand touched Bardock's calloused one, she was lifted into the air without even trying and placed on her feet. She looked at her father-in-law in disbelief at the kind gesture he did for her, not sure what to say until he started to walk towards the house. "Hey, wait!"

He stopped, but didn't turn around due to his embarrassment for helping her. "What now?"

She walked up to him, touching the green strap of his armor while Goten slid past them into the home, ready to devour whatever his mom had prepared. "Thank you, Bardock."

"Stop," he peered over his shoulder at her, scowling but his voice was soft. "My stomach hurts when you say that."

"Oh," Chi-Chi spoke a mixture of sadness and understanding, removing her hand. A smirk grew on her face when she realized something else to say. "I bet it's because you're hungry, huh!?"

"No shit!" Bardock turned around so he was facing her, and once again ignored her growl of protest against his profanity. "What did you create this time?"

Chi-Chi beamed, holding her chin up high in defiance. "The pork chops you didn't destroy and rice!" The excited look in his eyes made her laugh wholeheartedly, as she placed a hand on his arm. "I knew you'd love that, Goku!"

The two froze when she said the wrong name, but for different reasons. Bardock took a step back to study her face, trying to see if she was sick with some strange Earth disease. Upon seeing the weird looks from her father-in-law, Chi-Chi cleared her throat, very near a verge of tears. "I-I'm sorry," she sniffled. "I just miss him so much."

She let the silent tears escape her eyes, with Bardock staring at her helplessly. He had never seen someone cry before, except for the infant Kakarot. He felt even more uncomfortable when she wrapped her arms around his torso, letting her tears soak into his armor. Caught in a sudden embrace, Bardock awkwardly patted her small back with one hand. He had seen the nurse do this to Kakarot to calm him down, so why should this situation be any different?

Feeling his touch, Chi-Chi removed her arms from him and took two steps back, regaining her composure as she wiped the last tear away from her face. She brushed herself off, standing proudly and as confidently as she did before. "You can sit at the table with Goten. I'll get your plate ready." With that, she headed towards the door.

Before he followed, Bardock scratched the back of his head, slightly confused at what just happened.

How could she be so weak and vulnerable one minute, but strong the next?

The Saiyan looked up the sky as if he could see someone standing on one of the clouds. "Well," he spoke quietly. "She is your wife after all, kid. Guess I shouldn't be surprised." He entered the delicious smelling home, the sound of a certain boy's laughter filling his ears as he shut the door behind him.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Videl began to chew on her pencil as she stared Gohan's profile, both nasty habits of hers. Her blue eyes narrowed in on him, seeing he was looking back at her through his peripherals. "Hey Erasa?" she asked the girl beside her, not taking her eyes off the boy. "Can we switch seats?"

"Huh?" Erasa looked up from her magazine she casually hid between the pages of her textbook. She looked at how her best friend was checking out the male beside her, and giggled. "Oh, okay! I get it now." The blonde winked, standing up so Videl could scoot over.

The pig-tailed girl threw her books down at her new desk, and when she saw it didn't startle Gohan she knew the guy had been watching her. "Hey!"

Now pretending, Gohan jumped and looked at her with wide eyes. "Oh, gosh! When did you switch seats?"

"Can it!" Videl rolled her eyes, scooting closer to Gohan who began to blush at the action. "I saw something weird about your so called "grandpa" and you better have a good explanation or I'm calling the zoo to let them know one of their monkeys escaped!"

Oh, crap!

Sweat began to form on Gohan's forehead, knowing full well what she must have saw but played along anyway. He looked at her as innocently as possible, mocking his brother's signature expression. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," she leaned in closer to him. If looks could kill, he'd be a dead man. "Your grandfather has a freaking tail! Care to explain that!?"

The poor boy found it hard to think with this girl so close to his face. She was literally in his thinking space! Gohan blinked his eyes for a few seconds, a sudden explanation coming to mind. "Remember how those girls earlier talked about him being a foreigner?" Videl raised an eyebrow but remained silent, egging him to continue. "Well, it's true! Where he's from, it's the fashion to wear a fake tail attached to your pants!" Gohan began to laugh, but tried his hardest to keep it from sounding nervous.

The beautiful girl eyed him suspiciously, but Erasa's giggle cut in as the blonde girl nudged her arm. "He must be from Cinnamon City! They have tails attached everywhere - their clothes, their purses, even their hair!" The girl's eyes sparkled as she looked adoringly at Gohan. "Gosh, I can't believe your grandfather not only looks young, but he keeps up with the latest fashion trends!"

"Yeah!" Gohan smiled warmly at the girl, and then at the now confused Videl. "My grandpa is from good ol' Cinnamon City!"

The girl's blue eyes searched his dark ones for any signs of lies. When she could find nothing, she sighed in defeat, turning her attention back to her textbook. Maybe she was just being too nosy, and there truly was nothing odd about his family besides for the fact, well, they were odd! "Sorry," she muttered under her breath, blushing slightly.

"What was that?" Gohan rasied an eyebrow, smiling slightly after being a little caught off guard by her apology. The girl was so much like his mother, he wasn't expected a sign of defeat!

Her unfairly sapphire colored eyes snapped back up at him, narrowed. "Oh no, buddy! I am not going to repeat myself!"

"Hey!" Gohan grinned at her, the brilliant gleam of it causing Videl to slightly feel strange. "It's okay, if I didn't know he was from Cinnamon City I would have thought he was a monkey, too!" He imitated the action of said animal, but it only caused the girl to look at him even more strangely. Turning bright red, Gohan turned away, covering the side of him that faced her with his hand.

Great! I just made an idiot out of myself and I still have two classes left with her!

A girl with long, red hair turned around to look at the embarrassed boy, smiling sweetly with her eyes dazzling. "Don't be so red in the face Gohan!" The girl smiled brightly at him, causing Gohan to sit up straighter while Videl scowled at the girl. "I think you make a cute monkey!"

"Th-Thanks, Angela." Gohan smiled in return, and the girl winked at him before facing the front again. He looked over at the still scowling Videl, and chuckled a little. "What's wrong now, Miss Satan?"

Videl leaned over to whisper in Gohan's ear again. "She's a weird one, Gohan. I wouldn't trust her if I were you."

The teen boy sarcastically gasped, raising an eyebrow as he looked at the female beside. "Videl, don't tell me you're jealous!"

The girl huffed, crossing her arms over her chest as she distanced her from him. "You know what, on second thought, two weirdos are perfect for each other!" Videl began to scribble in her notebook although the professor wasn't speaking anymore.

Gohan looked at her for a moment, silently admiring the little frustrated vein that rested on her clear forehead behind the strands of glossy black hair. Smiling to himself, he began to read the section the professor assigned when his growling stomach caused him to stop.

Ah, my lunch!

The boy happily reached down to grab the brown paper bag, prepared to silently devour whatever was left. When finding nothing but a bloody, uncooked and half eaten porkchop among the remains of the usual large sandwich and rice his mother always prepared, Gohan dropped the bag - the sound of it hitting the floor mimicking the shattering of his heart.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You really shouldn't eat that, Grandpa! Mama told you to bring that plate to Gohan once he comes out!" Goten tugged on Bardock's pant leg, trying to make him stop. "Come on, Grandpa! You can't still be that hungry, can you!?"

Holding the fully cooked and seasoned pork chop in one hand, Bardock examined it for a moment. A part of him felt guilty for eating the poor kid's lunch on the way to finding his class, while the other half preferred raw meat. He shrugged, dropping the chop on the plate and handing it down to Goten. "I thought your little punk ass said he was out of school."

"He is!" Goten defended his word, stomping his foot on the ground while gesturing to the horde of teenagers brushing themselves past them. "He probably had to use the bathroom or something!"

Bardock crossed his arms, fiddling his fingers against it impatiently. He could sense the boy, but couldn't see him. The grandfather snarled, punching the flag pole they were standing beside, causing it to shake violently. "He's still inside the damn building! Come on, kid, let's get that slacker!" Surprising Goten, the Saiyan reached his hand down so the boy could grasp it.

"Grandpa!" Goten smiled cutely up at him, his eyes watering slightly. "This is the first time you've given me your hand!"

"Shut up!" Bardock snarled again, shaking his hand impatiently at the boy. "Isn't this your damn ritual around here, anyway?"

The child shrugged, but happily held onto his grandpa's hand as they made their way up the steps of the high school and entered the large building. "Alright, kid. I know you can't fly, but please tell me you can read a person's ki." As for that, he could easily forgive the boy. He didn't learn how to sense power levels until he was sent to Planet Plant.

"Yes!" Goten nodded, and closed his eyes for a moment to focus. When detecting the familiar power, he pointed excitedly to the left. "He's down there!"

Bardock nodded in return, it was exactly where he was sensing Gohan as well. The two made their way down the hall to find the teenager pushed against the wall by the pig-tailed girl that was flying that jet in the morning, the sight of it eerily similar to when Bardock hand him against the locker earlier. "This kid really gets himself into a lot of trouble, doesn't he?"

Ignoring his grandfather, Goten shouted loudly, waving his hand in the air frantically. "GOOOOHAAAAAN! GOHAAAAAAN!"

The two teenagers looked over to where the sound was coming from, Videl's eyes narrowing in on them while Gohan panicked. He forgot all about his promise to take Bardock to Vegeta! "I'm coming, I'm coming!" But when the boy tried taking a step forward, Videl placed her hand on his chest.

"You're not going anywhere," Videl pushed him harder against the wall. "Until you tell me why you tried stealing my lunch!"

"Are you fucking kidding me!?" Bardock shouted, eyeing his grandson in disgust. "You're really letting that girl have her way with you!? Punch her in the damn jugular and let's get the hell out of here!"

Videl raised an eyebrow, hearing the angry grandpa but keeping her eyes locked on Gohan's. "Well, are you going to do it!?"

"Do what!?" Gohan said, exasperated. Gosh, she was just as pushy as his mother!

"Punch me in the jugular!"

"What!?" Gohan shook his head, placing his hands on the girls' dainty shoulders to push her off him gently so she wouldn't know how strong he actually was. "I'm sorry, Videl! I'll see you tomorrow!" Videl reached her hand out to grab him again, but the boy was too fast as he darted past the sea of green lockers to his grandfather and brother. "Let's just get out of here before she decides to follow us!" Without hearing their response, Gohan darted out the front doors of his high school while the two just shrugged at each other and followed suit.

The girl was left alone in the hall, looking at where the trio once stood before they disappeared. She slowly touched the shoulder where the teen had touched her. It was hot to the touch, and he pulled her apart from him so easily as if she was as light as a feather.

And the craziest part was, was that it didn't even seem like he was trying.

Videl was prepared to chase after them, when the device on her wrist began to ring. "Hello?" she called into it, ready to hear the voice of one of Satan City's police officers.

"Videl! There's a situation downtown, and-"

"Say no more, I'll be right there."

"God bless you, Videl!"

This will just have to wait, Gohan.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Capsule Corporation is right down there, guys!" Gohan pointed down at the large estate below them, Goten laughing happily in his arms. The eighteen year old glared over at Bardock who was equally returning the look. "I didn't appreciate the fact that you ate my lunch, Bardock!"

The full blooded Saiyan snorted, rolling his eyes. "I gave you that plate of food a few minutes ago, didn't I!?"

"Yeah," Gohan's glare hardened. "But the pork chop was half eaten!"

"Guys, guys, guys!" Goten pointed excitedly towards a certain figure merging from the building. "It's Trunks!"

"Hm?" Bardock's eyes narrowed in on the small lavender-haired boy who was wiping sweat off his forehead with a gym towel. "So that's Vegeta's kid?"

Purple hair? Heh, King Vegeta must be rolling over in his grave.

Sensing the higher than normal power levels, Trunks looked up at the trio levitating down to him. A huge grin crossed his face when he saw it was Gohan with Goten tucked securely in his arms. "Hi, guys!" He waved excitedly, but lowered his hand when a stranger landed just behind them with a scowl on his face similar to his father's. "Uh... Who are you?"

"Where's Vegeta?"

"Huh?" Trunks blinked, looking at Gohan for assurance this stranger was safe to be around. When the teen gave him a thumbs up, Trunks relaxed a little. "Oh, uh, my dad's in the gravity room!"

"Gravity room?" Bardock's scowl deepened. "What the hell is that?"

"Well, I believe it's a room where you can change gravity." Gohan replied, and it earned an unexpected backhand from Bardock.

"Quit your sass, boy!"

"Oh wow," Trunks nudged Goten, chuckling to himself. "This guy sounds like my dad. Who is he?"

"My grandpa!" Goten smiled proudly at his best friend. "And he's cooler than your dad! Isn't that right, Grandpa!"

"Can it, kid!"

Trunks looked the tall Saiyan over, blinking in disbelief. There was no denying the resemblance between Goten and this stranger; they had very similar hair and faces. Still, the poor kid was confused. "I thought Ox King was your grandpa?"

"He is," Gohan laughed, scratching the back of his head. "They both are. Look, I'll explain it all to you later but we need to see your dad before Bardock here explodes from his impatience."

Completely understanding a full blooded Saiyan's attitude, Trunks nodded and gestured for the trio to follow him. They entered the door of the Capsule Corps estate, prepared to head to the new and improved gravity room when a chipper blonde woman appeared in front of them, blocking the entrance. "Oh, my!" she gushed, placing her hands on her face. "Look at how much you've grown Gohan! Such a giant, handsome young man!"

Gohan blushed, scratching the back of his head. "Thanks, Mrs. Brief!"

The woman nodded politely, her eyes heading downwards to the small child by her grandson's side. "Oh, my goodness! You brought little Goten, too! Hi, cutie!" She reached down to pat the boy's head, who giggled happily while she did so. A snort coming from the back caused her to look over Gohan's shoulder at the even taller man behind him. She gasped, pushing Gohan aside. "Goku, darling! When did you come back!?"

Bardock stood still with his eye twitching as the richly dressed woman headed towards him. She wrapped her arms around him, as if she was trying to squeeze the life out of him. "Can someone get Vegeta's broad off me!?"

Trunks busted out laughing, pointing at the woman who was crying into his chest, overjoyed with the return of her daughter's best friend. "That's not my mom! That's my grandma!"

"Whoever the hell she is, get her off me!"

"Mrs. Brief!" Gohan spoke up, finished with his small bout of laughter. "That's not my dad, that's my grandfather!"

The woman pulled back suddenly, but her hands remained on his chest as she looked the disgusted man up and down. Noticing the scar on her face, the woman suddenly nodded in understanding. "Grandfather?" She flashed a brilliant smile at him, a wink going along with it. "I would've thought you were his brother! You're an absolute hunk!"

"Ugh," Bardock sneered, looking past the woman to the lavender-haired child. "Can you just take me to see Vegeta already, kid!?"

"Uh, yeah, sure!" Trunks laughed, scratching the back of his head. He waved at his grandma before motioning the trio to follow him once again. "Right this way, guys!"

Mrs. Brief watched as her grandson headed into the home, Gohan and Goten following suit. She looked up at Bardock before he brushed past her. "We sure have cute grandchildren, don't we!?"

The Saiyan looked at the blonde woman in utter disbelief. A dense female like this would never exist long in Prince, hell even King, Vegeta's presence and this one apparently lives with him. Bardock shook his head, before leaving Mrs. Brief standing alone in her front yard.

Singing to herself happily, she picked up the watering can beside her and started dancing around the yard, completely happy she finally found a grandparent who looked completely unlike so.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Are you fucking kidding me!? Another one!?

The odd group of four hardly made it even close to the gravity room when a blue-haired woman appeared in front of them, blocking their way. She had her arms crossed over her chest, and she was pouting down at her son. "Where do you think you're going, kiddo? If you think you're going to train with your father before cleaning your room, you have another thing coming!"

"Mom!" Trunks blushed, scratching the back of his head. "Come on! I don't even want to train; Gohan and his grandpa want to see him!"

"Uh... Grandpa?" Bulma looked up, her eyes settling on the stranger in the room. Unlike her mother, she didn't confuse the man for Goku due to his scowling face and small physical differences. She blinked a couple of times, and bit her bottom lip before speaking to Gohan. "Oh, wow... Is that really Goku's dad?"

"I'll tell you all about it later. It's a long story," Gohan chuckled. "You know stranger things have happened."

Bulma nodded, completely understanding what he meant after their numerous adventures they had together when he was a child. She tucked a strand of blue hair behind her ear, feeling a little awkward at the annoyed look she was getting from her best friend's father. Clasping her hands together, she smiled brightly and tried to ignore him. "How is it the Saiyaman costume working out, kiddo?"

"Ugh!" Bardock full on glared at the woman now, crossing his arms over his chest. "You made that damn thing!?"

Bulma scowled, mimicking the rude man by crossing her arms over her chest now. "Yeah, I did. And it's a damn good invention!" When he didn't reply, the woman sighed. "Well, at least I have respect. What's your name?"

"Bardock." He answered bluntly, and looked the short woman up and down. "You must be Vegeta's wench."

"Wife," Bulma corrected, glaring at him with fiery sapphire eyes as the three boys backed away from the scene. "And you better watch how you talk to me! I'm Vegeta's princess, and he'll wipe the floor with any man that tries to disrespect me!"

Gohan suppressed a laughter, remembering how many times Vegeta madly disrespected the woman who was now his wife. Heck, he still was rude to her every now and then! Still, it just goes to prove Gohan's theory of stranger things happening. "Bulma, speaking of Vegeta, can we see him already? I'd rather not have to explain my grandpa's dead body to people."

Bardock glared at his grandson, about to speak when a sudden gruff voice came from behind the spit fire of a woman. "What are you going on about, woman?" The spiky hair appeared first, followed by the familiar widow's peak and that same short stature. Seeing the two standing next to each other, it made sense to Bardock why Vegeta had chosen this woman as a mate.

She's probably the only female shorter than him!

Turning his body around so he was fully facing his former prince, Bardock smirked at the Saiyan. "Vegeta, you haven't grown since the last time I saw you!"

The prince narrowed his eyes on the owner of the familiar voice, looking the older Saiyan up and down until it clicked. "I must admit, I'm impressed!" Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest, returning the smirk. "I didn't think a low class would survive Frieza's attack! Where were you, polishing my boots in the bowels of his ship?"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Gohan laughed nervously, stepping in between the two after sensing both of their power levels beginning to rise. "No need to be like that, guys! We just came over for a friendly spar, remember? Not the real deal!"

"Shut up, boy!" The two older Saiyans said at the same time, and Gohan lowered his head in defeat as he backed away. Truth be told, he didn't want Vegeta making a fool out of his grandfather. The whole situation would be awkward for the both of them.

"A nice spar does sound nice, though." Vegeta's smirk grew as he brushed past Bulma who was sticking her tongue out at Bardock before turning around to return to her lab. "It would be quite amusing to see the father of Kakarot being beaten to a pulp. Like father, like clown." He nodded at Gohan. "You understand that perfectly, don't you Saiyaman?"

Gohan opened his mouth to speak, but closed it when he saw Trunks shaking his head. Bardock was silently relieved someone else found the whole thing ridiculous, but the scowl remained on his face. "Where to, prince of nothing?"

"Gravity room," Vegeta turned his back, starting to walk towards his place of choice. "Don't worry, Bardock, I won't change the gravity on you. I want it to be fair, after all, but I assure you it doesn't matter one bit."

Gohan gulped as he saw Bardock follow Vegeta, and picked up Trunks and Goten by the collar of their shirts before they could follow the two. "Why don't you guys go play or something? This isn't going to be pretty." When they grudgingly agreed, Gohan placed them gently on the floor and quickly chased after his grandfather, worry running deep in his heart.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Gohan stood in the corner of the dark room, chewing his nails as he watched Vegeta and Bardock put some feet between them before getting into their own fighting stances. The teenager looked at Vegeta, who holding an open hand over his head while his other arm was back by his waist. Rolling his eyes at the confident guy, Gohan looked over at his grandfather who was keeping both arms lowered with one closer to his face and two fingers extended out on each hand.

Vegeta glared at Bardock, the stances they were in taking him back to his infamous fight against Kakarot that basically changed his whole life around. There was no way in hell that clown's father was going to have that same satisfaction of seeing him defeated. Seven straight years of training, mastering both Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan two formations, and training his mind weren't all for nothing.

Bardock focused on his former prince, a strange rage boiling in his blood as he looked at him. He remembered how much shit he gave Raditz when he heard the news his son was going to be partners with Vegeta, along with his dog Nappa. His young son had somehow escaped the low-class label and found his way to be among the elite. When he focused hard enough, Bardock could still see the arrogant prince as a child. Even so young, he was brutal, cold-blooded, and had no mercy in his heart.

Not to say Bardock wasn't. But he wasn't as nearly as ruthless as Vegeta was.

There was only one way for Bardock to figure out if anything had changed. Before he could jump off his hindquarters towards Vegeta, the prince sent an unexpected ki blast his way that he dodged just in time. The light of the orb hit the steel wall behind them; the genius that was Bulma designed the gravity room in such a way that it was strong enough to withstand whatever shenanigans her husband was trying to get into it. "Still playing dirty, eh Vegeta?"

The prince scoffed, leaping up in the air until he landed directly in front of Bardock. The father of Goku sent a fist flying towards the other male, always being taught to blow the opponent away and pick up fighting naturally. Vegeta blocked the punch with the back of his forearm so his fist was covering his face, and grabbed Bardock's second punch with an open hand before he flipped him over onto his back.

Gohan gulped, seeing his grandfather on the floor already. If this was Vegeta's first fight on Earth, Bardock would definitely have a higher chance at success. Heck, he could become a Super Saiyan! Although it wasn't as special as it use to be, considering two children being able to obtain it and the fact both him, Vegeta, and his father had gone above it, there was still a slim, slim chance Bardock could have a chance. Especially if Vegeta didn't abandon his base form.

Wincing slightly, Bardock quickly got back up on his feet only to see Vegeta slightly up in the air, coming down on him hard with clenched fists in an axe-handle, knocking him back down to where he was. Gohan watched in pain as his grandfather slightly coughed up blood. "Bardock!" He called out desperately, not sure why Vegeta was going so hard on him. "Turn into a Super Saiyan!"

Giving into his own frustration, Bardock turned into the golden warrior that defeated Lord Chilled. Feeling the new and extreme power rushing through his body, Bardock stood up once more and narrowed his now green eyes on the un-amused Vegeta. "Wow, I'm so impressed!" The prince rolled his eyes, although he secretly really was impressed - he had no idea Bardock could ascend. "If you want to impress me even more, ascend even further."

"Further?" A trickle of blood ran down Bardock's forehead, but it was absorbed into his headband. "What the hell do you mean?"

"Ahh," Vegeta smirked, walking a circle around his angered punching bag. "I get it now. You're a newborn."

"Vegeta," Gohan frowned, looking at the shameless Saiyan. "Please, don't-"

"Let me show you just how unbelievably weak you truly are," Vegeta chuckled darkly, taking a step back. "As if you didn't realize it by now."

"STOP!" Gohan shouted, rushing to Bardock's side who only shoved him harshly to the side. The boy looked at him in disbelief. "Bardock, you don't understand! He's going to transform to a formation even higher than yours!

His grandfather looked at him with deadly green eyes, spitting blood down at his boots. "And how do you know this? Can you ascend beyond a Super Saiyan like this asshole is saying?"

The boy laughed nervously, raising his hands defensively in front of him. "No, no! Not at all! Just your good ol' average Super Saiyan!" Gohan looked around to find Vegeta preparing himself a few feet away, and stood next to him in a frenzy. "Please, just stop! You know he's not-" The prince snarled, and the boy was shoved a second time in a row.

Bardock's eyes widened as the Saiyan in front of him had his power level begin to skyrocket as the entire gravity room shook as if they were in the middle of an earthquake. Vegeta's now golden hair stood up slightly more, and there were bouts of energy circulating all around him as he smirked devilishly at the stunned opponent. "Tell you what, low class-" Vegeta's smirk grew at the sound of Bardock's snarl. "I'll give you one free punch, right on my face."

Obviously frustrated, Bardock sent his fist flying as hard as he could into the arrogant prince's face, but the Saiyan didn't budge an inch. Hell, it looked as if he wasn't even hit. Bardock lowered his hand slowly back to his side, feeling his heart ache as Vegeta began to laugh evilly. "Just what I thought; nothing special." Vegeta raised his fist high, but turned into his base form when he saw the look on Bardock's face. "How does it feel to have your pride taken away? To know you're not the strongest?"

Gohan frowned sadly while looking at his crushed grandfather, who slowly turned back to his base form and continued to look down at his bloodied boots without saying a word. Feeling sudden anger rush through him, the grandson pointed an angry finger Vegeta's way. "Why do you have to be a jerk all the time!? You've been in his shoes!"

Vegeta nodded, not taking his eyes off Kakarot's father. "And that's what made me stronger."

Bardock slowly raised his head to meet Vegeta's gaze. He recognized the tone in his voice; it was the same one he used on Tora when his second-in-command was feeling useless after coming close to death. A smirk grew across the Saiyan's face as he wiped some blood off his lip. "As much as I hate you, prince, I have to admit you've changed a lot." He extended his bloody hand forward, and Vegeta reluctantly shook it. "Teach me... Teach me the ascension."

Gohan gasped loudly, causing the two Saiyans to look at him in disgust at how overly-dramatic the boy was sometimes. Vegeta narrowed his eyes on the teenager, and then back at Bardock. "Why don't you train with that loser grandson of yours, first? I know he doesn't look like much, but you'd be surprised what he's capable of when he puts his mind to it."

Bardock looked over his grandson with disbelief in his eyes. "Him!?"

"Wow, Vegeta!" Gohan returned the disbelief, but smiled childish. "Gee, I never thought you'd compliment me! Thank you-"

"Shut up!" The prince snarled. "You're still trash that needs to catch up from his seven year rest! Trash trains trash, and once trash moves up, it might be worthy to train with me." Vegeta opened the door of his beloved room, motioning for the blood relatives of his rival to leave. "Now get out of my sight!"

Same asshole, bigger body.

Well, not that big.

Bardock gave Vegeta one last smirk before exiting the room, silently vowing to himself that he would surpass the prince one day no matter what he would have to go through, no matter if he was transported somewhere else and it would take years for them to meet again. Even if it meant training with the Great Saiyaman. He looked behind him at his grandson while the door shut behind him. "What the hell do you know about the second formation, kid? I thought you said you couldn't obtain it."

"Well," Gohan chuckled nervously, scratching his head. "I do, but you see, I'm a little rusty-"

"Hey."

Gohan gulped, looking up at his grandfather but slightly feeling relieved when he noticed Bardock didn't look too angry. "Y-Yeah?"

The older Saiyan sighed, placing one large hand on his grandson's shoulder. "Don't lie to me to make me feel better. I can accept defeat. Sure, it sucks a big one, but I'd rather lose with honor than have someone pity me."

The teenager nodded, understanding fully what he meant while smiling at him. "I'm sorry, Grandpa. I won't lie to you anymore."

The strange pain formed swelled up Bardock's stomach again, hearing Gohan call him 'Grandpa' for the first time since they've met. Trying hard to ignore the feeling, he motioned for the boy to follow him as the two headed towards the exit. Goten was standing by the door, at first excited to see his brother and grandfather but frowning when he saw how beaten up his grandpa looked. "Whoa, what happened, Grandpa!? You weren't even in there that long!"

Gohan shook his head at the boy, causing him to cover his mouth at his mistake. Bardock began lifting the boy up, and Goten bit him on the arm tightly. "What the fuck, you leech!" The grandfather glared down at the boy still gnawing on his arm. "Knock it off!"

"No!" Goten cried. "You're going to toss me and I'm going to die again!"

"Again?" Gohan laughed. His brother's view on things never failed to amuse him.

"You dumb kid, I'm trying to pick you up because I'm carrying you home!"

Goten's eyes lit up with delight as he looked into his grandpa's eyes. "No way!" he cheered. "You're really going to fly me home!?"

"Yes," Bardock said through gritted teeth as the child tucked himself securely under his arm while Gohan opened the door for them to leave. "But trust me, I won't make a habit out of it." Stepping outside, Bardock took flight first while Gohan smiled up at him for a moment before following, unsure of what their time together was going to bring but more than ready to see where it would take them.


	7. Bardock's Nightmares

"Did you finish your homework, Gohan?"

"Yes, mom."

Chi-Chi was standing in the doorway of her children's room, and grinned at her young man of a son, who was closing his math textbook with an exhausted thud. Algebra honestly wasn't a hard subject for him; Gohan was just ready to end a wild day. "Alright, son. Get some rest now, okay? I'm proud of you."

The now messy-haired boy finally looked up at his mother from his chair, and returned her heartwarming smile. "Thanks Mom." He stood up to wrap his arms tightly around her. Looking over her shoulder, he saw his grandfather sprawled out on the couch in the living room looking like he was in pain. Gohan gently pushed away from Chi-Chi and frowned down at her. "Do you think he's comfortable sleeping on that little thing?"

The woman rolled her eyes and shrugged. "I told him Goten has more than enough room in his bed for the two of them, but the stubborn fool refused."

Gohan shook his head, smiling slightly. He glanced over his shoulder to his little brother snoring quietly, feeling his own exhaustion now calling his name to join his brother in Dreamland. "Good night, Mom!" Gohan smiled weakly at her and yawned, giving her one last hug before the woman, equally tired, trudged down the hall to her own room that was once shared with her beloved husband.

Pulling the covers back, Gohan took one last look in the living room that could be seen from his doorway at Bardock. There was something about the way he was breathing that slightly concerned the teenager, but he shrugged it off.

It's his own fault, anyway!

Still...

Nope.

Gohan fought his consciousness, finally coming to an agreement that there was nothing wrong with his grandfather besides his own stubbornness. Settling into his large bed placed directly next to the snoring Goten, the teenager smiled to himself while closing his eyes. Oh yeah, he was definitely ready for this...

"Chi-Chi... NO!"

Or, at least he thought he was.

The boy's eyes snapped open, blinking a few times and not sure if he just imagined someone saying his mother's name. He waited, counting the dots that were somehow visible on the dark ceiling. After what seemed like a good ten minutes, he closed his eyes again.

"Damn you! I'll kill you!"

Gohan sat up, scratching the back of his head while looking at his doorway.

What the heck is going on out there!?  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Two little boys stood on a balcony, looking down at the pink creature who must have appeared during their slumber. A tall green Namek was standing beside them, concern overtaking every inch of his features as he glared down at the impatient villain. Beside said villain, was an hourglass counting down the minutes until he would fight the warrior the messy haired liar promised to produce.

"That's Majin Buu?" The lavender haired boy raised an eyebrow down at the creature who reeked of evil.

"He must be on a diet!" The other boy said, trying to hide his natural smile but failing. "He's not chubby anymore!"

The Namek's glare now was settled on his brats. "Don't be fooled, that is Majin Buu and his power has increased dramatically." The Namek went on to explain to the boys about the dire situation they were in, and started to explain to them how the hyperbolic time chamber worked. The lavender-haired boy listened with interest, but the other one was slightly growing bored. He was thankful when something in the corner of his eye caught his attention, and ran to the railing of the balcony to see who the figure was.

"MOM!" The boy's eyes widened with slight terror, not sure what she was doing. "Where are you going!?"

"WHAT!?" The Namek, followed by the other boy and a short man, ran to the railing immediately with a scowl on his face. "Whatever you think you're doing, Chi-Chi, you better stop it!"

The stubborn and strong woman marched her way towards the one named Buu, her hands clenched in fists at her sides while ignoring the voices coming from the balcony. She slapped Buu as hard as she could, snarling as she did so but the creature remained unscathed. "You savage! Don't you even care that you killed my oldest son!?" She screamed, stopping her foot on the white tiles of the strange lookout. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

The inhabitants of the lookout gasped in horror mixed with awe at the courage the woman held. But the poor boy watching from above was shaking with just plain terror.

The peeved monster glanced sideways at the woman, his eyes filled with disgust. "Do you like eggs?"

The woman took a step back, obvious confusion on her face. "Wha-?"

A bright red flash, the same color as precious blood, seemed to come out of the monster's eyes and engulf Chi-Chi while she screamed. The gasps of panic escaped the lips of her friends and family as there was no trace of the mother. In her place, was a single egg.

Without a hint of remorse, Buu stood up and crushed her. The sound of the shells cracking under his boots mimicking what would have been the crushing of her bones.

The youngest boy screamed with horror, and everything turned black until Bardock was sitting up straight, sweat pouring off his entire body while he was gasping for air until he thought he was going to keel over from the lack of oxygen. He was momentarily confused as to where he was, until his grandson was kneeling by his side.

"Bardock!" He touched his arm, and the wild eyes of the full blooded Saiyan locked on his overly concerned ones. "It's okay! You're just having a nightmare!"

Bardock stared at his grandson, their eyes remaining locked until his breathing evened and his sweat was no long prevalent. Without giving it much thought, he rolled off the couch until he was on his knees in front of his already kneeling grandson, and fell onto his grandson's chest trembling. Gohan blinked, overtaken by shock that this overly masculine Saiyan was shaking in his arms like a terrified child. He awkwardly patted Bardock's back, not sure what else to do. "We all have nightmares..." Pat pat. "You're going to be okay..."

"No," Bardock pulled backed, grabbing his grandson by his shoulders and looking him dead in the eyes. "I don't have nightmares. Those are fantasy. I have visions... And.." He looked around frantically, realizing they were the only two in the dark living room. He jumped to his feet, a serious tone taking over his frightened one in a blink of an eye. "Where's your mother?"

"Uh," Gohan rose to his feet, blinking a few times. He pointed at the closed door that was close by, but his tired eyes remained on Bardock. "She's in her room. What's going on?"

Without speaking, Bardock pushed Gohan aside and made his way to Chi-Chi's room. The teen watched with new horror as he banged on the door loudly, and when nobody opened it he busted it open. Gohan winced as his mother's shriek echoed throughout the home, and he was quite positive it caused the mountains outdoors to shake.

The intruding male flicked on the lightswitch to see his daughter-in-law safe and sound, albeit bewildered, sitting up straight in her bed. He notriced something that gave a weird feeling to his already pained stomach: the right side of the bed was completely made, much more larger than the small space she took. It had to be the side of the bed where he husband slept beside her every night, and she continued to honor the tradition as if he was going to come home any night now.

"What is wrong with you, you savage?!" Chi-Chi shrieked, seeing the pieces of her former bedroom door sprawled out in pieces around her father-in-law. "If you came here for a place to sleep, you're sadly mistaken! You chose the couch, you live with the couch!"

"You're alive."

"Of course I'm alive, you idiot!" Chi-Chi noticed her son trying to sneak by the room, and signaled him over. "Gohan, what's going on!? Why are you up!? You have school tomorrow!"

The boy laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head as he slid inside the bedroom he tried to avoid for obvious reasons. "Sorry, Mom. Bardock had a bad nightmare, or something I guess and wanted to make sure you were alright."

Bardock's eye twitched hearing Gohan call his vision a "nightmare" once more. Just like the Saiyans, they laughed off his warning. There was no way in hell he was going to let this happen again. But looking at the exhausted faces of the mother and son, he knew it wasn't the right time to discuss what he saw. He wasn't even sure where to begin. "I'll fix it in the morning," he muttered under his breath, turning his back on Chi-Chi.

"What?"

"The door," he looked over his shoulder and snarled. "I'll fix it in the morning! Now go to sleep!"

Chi-Chi huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I should say the same to you! Why don't you just sleep with the boys tonight so they can keep an eye on you? I can't have you breaking every door in the house!"

Bardock was about to retort, when he finally noticed something peculiar. He turned himself fully back around so he was facing Chi-Chi was once more, and stepped towards her. The woman blinked, not sure what he was trying to do until his calloused hand reached down to grasp a chunk of her long hair. She thought he was going to yank, but he ended up just observing it with genuine confusion on his face. "Shit, lady! How did you make it grow so fast?"

"It's always been like this!" Chi-Chi swatted his hand away, and moved her hair to the side protectively while glaring up at him.

The full blooded Saiyan raised an eyebrow at his grandson who was beginning to chuckle. "What!?"

"It was in a bun earlier," Gohan continued to chuckle, but tried his hardest to suppress it when he noticed his grandpa's angry expression. "Now, she has it down so it's longer."

"The fuck is a bun!?"

The teen scratched the back of his head, not really sure how to explain it. Heck, he only knew what it was called because the girls in his class were obsessed with the "messy" look of one. "Well-"

"GO TO SLEEP!" Chi-Chi snapped, and without another word the boys scurried out of the room after seeing her livid expression. "AND TURN MY LIGHTS OFF!" She smiled to herself when a familiar large hand with a red wristband below it flicked the switch down. With that same satisfied smile, she curled up to the empty side of her bed with images of her and Goku's wedding filling her mind as she drifted to sleep.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Oh, boy!" Goten smiled with excitement as his grandfather entered the bedroom he shared with Gohan. He had awoken due to his mother's screams, but didn't seem to be groggy at all. "Are we having a sleepover!?"

Bardock rolled his eyes, every fiber of his being wanting to turn around and head back to the uncomfortable couch until he remembered the terrified expression of the little boy after witnessing his own mother's death. That small voice in Bardock's head telling him to stay brought him to the side of the bed the boy wasn't on. "Yeah, kid. We're having a sleepover."

Gohan grinned lazily when he heard his brother giggle with delight, and trudged away from the doorway to his own bed. He didn't understand why Bardock refused his offer to have his bed while he could be the one to share with Goten, but decided not to question it since it made his little brother so happy. The two grown males settled into bed, and the teen was out within five minutes.

After the gentle sound of his grandson's snoring reached his ears and sensing Chi-Chi's ki become an even rhythm, Bardock realized he was the only one left awake. He just couldn't get the image of the pink monster's sinister grin as he crushed his daughter-in-law to death. He wasn't even sure what the most sickening part of it was: that this would eventually happen, or that he actually cared.

No.

The most sickening part was the scream of the small child.

It was a sound he couldn't get out of his head.

As if on cue, the unkempt head of hair rolled over and landed right on his chest. Goten was snuggled closely up to him, being quite the mover in his sleep. Without giving it much thought, Bardock laid on his side and pulled the boy close to him. With his nose resting in Goten's hair, Bardock could sense and almost envision rollie pollie bugs, the sunshine of Mount Paozu, and a loving mother's cooking.

"No," Bardock spoke into the hair of the child, closing his eyes as he felt himself drifting off to sleep. "I won't let this one come true."  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Breakfast! Breakfast! Breakfast!" Chi-Chi stood in the doorway of the boys' bedroom, banging two freshly cleaned pans together. "Breakfast! Breakfast! Breakfast!"

Gohan was the first to stir. He sat up slowly, his green shirt he fell asleep in covered with lint while his hair stood up in numerous directions. The woman had to suppress a laughter at his dazed face, but when the smell of French toast and freshly scrambled eggs touched his nose, the boy jumped to his feet. He darted to the kitchen table, but not before giving his mother a kiss on her cheek to thank her for making his favorite.

"You better get them up!" He called, his mouth full of food but the professional Chi-Chi was able to decode every word. "Or else I'm going to eat it all!"

The mother looked down at the grandfather-grandson duo and couldn't hold her laughter back anymore. Bardock was sprawled out on his back, fully dressed in his armor that Kami knows needed a good washing, with Goten sprawled across his large chest with his tiny foot in the male's mouth. To make it even worse, it appeared he was nibbling on the toes as if he was eating breakfast already.

"Uhm, Bardock?" Chi-Chi giggled, gently shoving him until a groggy eye cracked open. "Breakfast is ready... Unless you'e content with eating my son's foot."

Both eyes popped wide open, and Bardock yanked the child's foot out of his mouth while spitting in disgust. The action caused Goten to wake up, and he looked over his shoulder at his grandfather in confusion. "Let go of my foot, Grandpa!" He glared hard at his grandfather with sudden suspicion as the scent of French toast reached him. "You're not getting my food this time!"

Upon hearing the 'F' word, Bardock tossed Goten aside. The boy screamed while airborne, but landed on his feet as he watched in horror as his grandfather disappeared out the door. "Hey!" Goten darted off, raising his fist in the air. "Wait for me!"

Chi-Chi shook her head. As much craziness her father-in-law had brought to her life within twenty four hours, she had to admit it was much more livelier with him around.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After the plates were licked clean, Gohan rubbed his full belly with a satisfied expression written all over his face. Bardock looked at him and shook his head, still having doubts that this skinny kid was able to ascend to a power beyond a Super Saiyan.

That bastard better not be lying...

"Gohan!" Chi-Chi threw his backpack at him, grabbing it off the counter as she came back to the table from cleaning the dishes. "Have a nice day at school!"

"What!?" Bardock scowled, crossing his arms over his thick chest and pouting like petulant child. "You're going back again!?"

Goten mimicked the gesture. "I say that all the time!"

"Well...Yeah," Gohan laughed nervously, placing his book bag over his shoulder. "But as soon as I'm home, we'll get to work, alright?"

Chi-Chi placed her hands on her hips, glaring at the two with suspicion. "What work?"

Gohan opened his mouth to speak, but was grateful Goten came in to save the day like usual. "Are you going to save Chobi from the evil man!?" Goten pouted, running to his brother's side and pulling on his pant leg. "Please! You need to!"

Feeling slightly guilty at almost forgetting, Gohan nodded and reached a hand down to ruffle up his brother's already unkempt hair. "Don't worry, bro. I'll get the little guy back to his parents."

Goten looked up at his hero with admiration in his eyes, knowing full well his big brother was going to save his dinosaur friend from the circus owner they saw on TV last night. "Go get 'em, brother!" The boy laughed as his brother gave him one last noogie before disappearing out the door without another word to any of them after being set on saving Chobi.

The still pouting Bardock took a sip of his orange juice, nearly breaking the glass as his hands tightened around it and his foot tapped impatiently. He caught Chi-Chi looking at him, and snarled. "What the fuck am I suppose to do all day!?"

"Language!" Chi-Chi warned, still knowing full well he wasn't ever going to stop. She motioned towards Goten, who was already on his way out the door to call Nimbus with a letter in his hand that Bardock had no idea when Chi-Chi gave it to him. "You and me are going to be best friends today, because Goten is going to go see his good grandfather. Emphasis on the good."

"Bye Mama! Bye Grandpa!" Goten waved excitedly, and ran happily towards a meadow in the distance.

"Fuck me!" Bardock groaned, dropping his head on the table as the sound the yellow cloud swooshing through the sky began to disappear from his ears. "I'm alone with the Queen of the Harpies!"

Chi-Chi huffed, the sound of it causing Bardock to look up at her. "You know, I really don't get you. One second, you're breaking into my room to make sure I'm okay, and the next you're insulting me!"

Bardock flinched, suddenly remembering the horrific vision he had. It was a pain in the ass not knowing when exactly the moment would come, but Goten and Vegeta's kid didn't look any older than they were now. He looked at the scowling Chi-Chi once more before struggling with his thoughts. He had approached his Saiyan brethren the wrong way. Surely, Chi-Chi was much smart than probably most of them combined. But just how trusting was she of him to believe such a wild story? Bardock took a deep sigh, rubbing his temple while doing so.

Not very much.

"Tell me," Bardock removed his hands from his temple to look over the housewife. "Do you know how to fight?"

Chi-Chi tilted her head, not really expecting the question. She thought for a moment, and then smiled at him proudly. "Do I know how to fight!? Do I know how to fight!?" She laughed, throwing her head back and Bardock thought for a moment she truly was insane. "I was one of the toughest females out there! Back in my younger days, your son and I would go head to head in combat!" The woman swooned and gushed at the memory, causing Bardock to believe he was going to throw up a little in his mouth. She stopped herself when she saw the disgusted look on his face, and smirked. "Besides, who do you think taught Goten everything he knows?"

"That settles it." Bardock stood up abruptly, pushing his chair in as he did so and shocking the woman slightly because she believed he had no sense of what table manners were. He stood before her, towering above Chi-Chi but her toughness remained. "I'm going to teach you how to really fight."

Chi-Chi blinked, more confused than ever. She thought the man was joking, but the seriousness of his features told another story. Why on Earth was he being so persistent in teaching her to fight? "What for?" She raised an eyebrow, full suspicion on alert.

Bardock shrugged, trying not to blurt out his vision. "Look, I know you got the kid and dork to protect you, and that's just fine. But I know you're going to find yourself in a situation where they can't be there to protect you-"

Oh, you know. Like turning into a fucking egg by a piece of bubblegum.

"-And I think it would be to your benefit if you knew a few things to be safe."

Chi-Chi wasn't sure if she should be flattered, offended, or let her confusion grow. So, she just went with her gut feeling. Crossing her arms over her chest, she stuck her nose up at her father-in-law. "I already know plenty, thank you."

"Show me."

"..What?"

"Show me. I want to see what you know."

Chi-Chi looked at Bardock in utter disbelief. He was really serious about seeing her fighting style! A slight blush crossed her face. "Well, you're going to have to give me a chance to warm up. I'm a little rusty, you know."

Bardock rolled his eyes. "Is that the excuse your whole damn family uses!?"

"I'm serious!" Chi-Chi scowled in return. She pointed at the glass table that was between her couch and television set, a sly smirk crossing her features as she realized the perfect crime. Yes, it was true she was a little rusty and quite honestly getting older by the minute, but why not have a little fun today? And there was nothing more fun than seeing a masculine man look like a fool. "Move that table out of the way. We're going to do yoga."

"The fuck is yoga?"

"Just do it!"

Bardock mumbled nonsense under his breath, not sure why he was giving into the orders of the puny female but extremely determined to find out just how strong she really was. If he couldn't save her from the inevitable, at least he can make sure she'd be able to put up a good fight. At least for a second. "There!" He grunted, standing in the middle of the now large carpeted space of the living room. "What now!?"

He watched with narrowed eyes as she ran to one of the closets and pulled out two pink mats. She laid them out next to each other, popped a video into the VCR. Bardock looked in horror at what appeared on the screen. A fair skinned man wearing an extremely small and revealing pair of shorts along with a giant red afro atop his head pointed flamboyantly at them. "Who the fuck-"

"Bardock!"

"-Is that?" He blinked, taking a step back. "Is he going to come through that device?"

"What?" Chi-Chi laughed, realizing that this must be the first time Bardock had ever watched TV. "No, you dummy! It's called a television.. It's like, uh, oh, I don't know... Just visual images and sounds for our entertainment."

His confused expression remained, and Chi-Chi sighed deeply. At least Goku was a bit more civilized. "We can see them, but they can't see us, touch us, or hear us."

"Good," Bardock sighed in relief, his muscles relaxing a bit. "Because that's the scariest fucking thing I've ever seen!"

"Oh, stop!" Chi-Chi groaned. "Just shut up and stand on your mat and wait for him to tell us what to do!"

"Oh, so this afro man is your mentor?"

"Wha-No! Bardock, just shut up!"

After more thorough explanations, Chi-Chi finally got her father-in-law to relax and the two stood on their mats while keeping their eyes glued to the screen. The man sat cross legged on his mat, his thumb and index fingers touching to form an "O" shape. Bardock looked at Chi-Chi for conformation, and she nodded. The two dropped to their mats in the similar position.

"...Now let your head roll back and forth, back and forth. Your body is a well-cooked piece of asparagus.."

"Are you fucking kidding me, lady!?" Bardock looked at the woman to his left, seeing her neck around rolling around and tuning him out. "If this is your idea of training, you're going to be dead in seconds!"

"You need to train your mind before your body," Chi-Chi spoke softly, enjoying the feeling the movement was giving her. "That's what Goku always told me."

Bardock took in her words, and gave in. He began to roll his head in similar fashion, but not before glaring at the man on the TV screen. After numerous other meditation techniques, the video was eventually over and Chi-Chi stood up to pop another one in. Bardock cursed under his breath, not understanding why it took so damn long for her to warm up but trying to get a feel of what she knew anyway.

"...And now, the downward dog!" A preppy blonde's voice filled the room, and Bardock's eye twitched at the sound of it. He watched the body of the annoying woman on the screen to become an inverted V shape, her hands and feet on the floor with her butt pointing upward. Chi-Chi slightly smiled at his disinterested in the scantily clad woman, and set herself in the position while glaring at her stubborn father-in-law.

"Come on, tough guy! This can break my back, but I'm still doing it!"

Bardock mumbled, but got in the position. He felt his back tense a bit, and slightly shocked himself at the pain. Sure, he had his usual routine of stretching before the actual training. But this yoga thing was...different. Like it was made to destroy the body. "This is the devil's work."

Chi-Chi rolled her eyes, ignoring him and waiting on the woman to announce the next position while focusing on a bead of sweat on her nose. It had been a long time since she actually did yoga, but for the life of her couldn't remember why she ever stopped.

"Alright, lovelies!"

"Ugh."

"Right triangle pose!"  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Gohan landed by the tree of his home, holding his head in frustration. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

Oh yeah, Chobi was home with his family alright. Satan City was saved once again by The Great Saiyaman and Miss Videl Satan. But Miss Videl Satan was saved by The Great Saiyaman, who got cut by Toh Toh in the act. But that same damn cut was how Miss Videl Satan realized The Great Saiyaman was none other but good ol' dorky classmate Gohan!

The boy leaned against the tree to try and calm down his thoughts. So the pushy girl wants to learn how to fly and compete with him in the World Martial Arts Tournament in exchange for her silence. Gohan took a deep breath, pulling himself away from the tree.

"No big deal," he told himself as he approached his small home. "You just have to ask Mother if you can compete, and everything is going to be fine." He scoffed, scratching the back of his head while he stood hesitantly in front of the door. "Yeah, just fine. She's going to say no. 'The Great Saiyaman cannot compete in the World Martial Arts Tournament because his mommy said no'."

He took another deep breath, and opened the door.

Directly in front of him was his grandfather, striking a series of poses alongside Goten while his mother stood in the corner with tears in her eyes, clapping her hands. Gohan's mouth dropped at the sight of Bardock looking so...

He looks like a member of the Ginyu force!

"Hi, Gohan!" Goten smiled, trying to mimick every move Bardock was making. The child's skin was slightly tan after spending the day picking apples with Ox King.

"Uh, what's going on, guys?" Gohan waved awkwardly at the two, who looked at him but didn't stop. Telling from his mother's struggle to not laugh, Gohan knew she must have set him up to believe this was a masculine, warrior-like training. He did have to admit, Bardock kind of did make yoga look tough.

Both finishing with crane pose, Bardock and Goten stood up. The full blooded Saiyan smirked at Gohan while cracking his neck. "Kid, I've never felt this relaxed in my life! My fresh bones are aching to beat someone down. You could learn a thing or two from your mother."

Gohan scratched the back of his head and sweatdropped. "I wouldn't be doing that in public if I were you, Bardock."

"Why's that!?"

Gohan laughed nervously at his grandfather who was beginning to close in on him. The poor guy had no idea how ridiculous he looked. If Vegeta caught sight of it, he would lose what little respect he had for the Saiyan completely. "N-Nothing! I just don't want people finding out your secrets," he quickly responded and made his way over to his mother, ignoring his grandfather's suspicious glares. "Say, Mom? Would it be alright if I miss school for a couple days to participate in the World Martial Arts Tournament?"

He knew the best way to get through to his mother was just being upfront.

"What!?" Chi-Chi stamped her foot in protest, glaring at her oldest son. "Are you kidding me!? How do you expect to miss all of those days and get a nice scholarship for college!?"

"But Mom!" Gohan raised his hands in front of her in defense, chuckling nervously with a mixture of hope. "If I win, the prize money is equivalent to a huge scholarship!"

Chi-Chi soaked in her son's words, and once it hit her fully her eyes lit up. "Oh, gosh!" She clasped her hands together, her eyes glimmering. "Just imagine what kind of universities you can get into with that kind of money!"

"...So, it's a yes?" Gohan grinned like a spoiled child, knowing full well he was going to get what he wanted.

"Of course!" Chi-Chi laughed, throwing her arms around her son. "It's a guaranteed win! Nobody can possibly beat you!"

The teen slightly blushed at the compliment, but returned his mother's hug in a grateful fashion. Goten ran over to join the hugging group, excited for his big brother while Bardock stood by the door with an eyebrow raised. He didn't know why, but the sight of the happy family made his heart ache in more ways than one.

It wasn't just a happy family.

It was his happy family.

And he knew it wasn't going to last.


	8. Fathers and Sons Meet

"...What exactly is a 'World Martial Arts Tournament'?" Bardock chewed on a piece of steak, eyeing Gohan from his end of the table. The dork and the harpy seemed to be ecstatic about it, so he just had to know.

"Don't talk with your mouth open, savage!" Chi-Chi butt in for her son, glaring at her father-in-law who simply rolled his eyes in return. "And if you must know, the World Martial Arts Tournament is one of the biggest fighting events there is!"

Bardock raised an eyebrow, taking another giant bite of his steak. "Is this your first time participating in it?" He nodded towards his grandson, but sent a glare in the direction of Chi-Chi so she wouldn't speak for him again. The woman huffed, waiting for her turn.

Gohan chuckled nervously, momentarily placing his fork down to scratch the back of his head. "Yup, and as the Great Saiyaman, too!"

"Oh, God!" Bardock looked at him in disgust, causing the teen's face to redden. "What kind of tournament is that if they allow that fruitcake to dance around the ring!?"

"I think Gohan's outfit is cool!" Goten grinned, causing his older brother to sit up a little straighter after his grandfather's insult. "When I'm older, I hope I can fit in it and run around saving the day, too!"

Bardock's lips twitched, wanting to smile but he was forcing it from happening. The child was always so damn happy and carefree about everything, and showed so much love for his brother. Even though Kakarot was only an infant, Raditz showed no feelings towards the weak being. Truthfully, Bardock didn't feel much for his sons either until death was in front of his face - but even then, it was embarrassing and pathetic to admit. "I assure you, you're the only one that believes that kid."

"No!" Goten laughed, pointing across the table at his mother. "Mama thinks Gohan's cool! Isn't that right, Mama?"

Chi-Chi placed her glass of water down, smiling while doing so. "Of course I do!"

"Congratulations!" The only full blooded Saiyan at the table had sarcasm oozing from his voice that wasn't lost on Gohan. "Your two year old brother and mommy think you're cool!"

"I'm seven!" Goten pouted, but a smile quickly replaced his upset features when he thought of a brilliant plan. "Hey, Mama! Do you think Grandpa and I can enter the tournament, too!?"

"...What?"

"Yeah!" Gohan chimed up, raising a finger up high while Bardock remained looking dumbfounded. "With more of the family competing, we'll have a better chance at bringing some prize money home!"

Chi-Chi bit her bottom lip, internally struggling with her reply. On one hand, her three boys at the table could easily defeat any of the humans competing, most likely coming down to Gohan and Bardock for the final, and they'd take both prizes home. On the other hand, Goten was just a child...

She looked across the table at her young son, whose eyes were wide in desperate hope. Chi-Chi sighed, the look of her little boy defeating her. "Fine." She glanced up from her half eaten plate to glower at the uncivilized man at the end of the table. "Just don't make a scene, alright!? My boy has tried so hard to keep his powers hidden, and you better do the same!"

Gohan tried stifling in his laughter. "What powers!?" He accidentally let out the howl, and upon hearing it Goten joined in, suddenly remember how beaten up he looked after sparring with Trunks' dad.

"Yeah! Grandpa's weak!"

Bardock snarled, abruptly standing on his feet that caused the boys to go silent with fear immediately. Chi-Chi rolled her eyes, unaffected by her father-in-law's angry features and not amused by her sons' taunts. "I could wipe the floor with you, kid!" He pointed a deadly finger at Goten, who blinked at it and suddenly remembered how painful it was when he backhanded him at the grocery store.

"Mama!" Goten whined, looking at her with desperation filling his wide orbs. "Stop him!"

"He won't do anything to you, Goten." Chi-Chi took a sip of her water, and winked up at her father-in-law. "Isn't that right, Bardock?"

The Saiyan scrunched his eyebrows together, glowering at the woman who was mocking him. He opened his mouth to speak, but Gohan managed to beat him. "Yup! That's right, bro! Grandpa loves you!"

The boy's eyes widened with joy, looking at his brother and then at his grandpa. Then at Gohan one more time. "He does!?"

A tint of red formed on Bardock's face as he stomped his foot on the tile below him in a frenzy. "I most certainly do not!"

"You don't?" Goten frowned, looking down at his near empty plate.

"Ah, of course he does!" Gohan smiled at his brother reassuringly, and the joyful expression once more found it's way to the young child's face. "And we love Grandpa, don't we!?" He winked at his mother, who started laughing.

Bardock watched in horror as all three of his odd family stood up at once to join him, and one by one they started wrapping their arms around him so he was trapped in a giant, weirdo hug. By this point, he was absolutely fuming deep red, trying to pry them off but to no avail. "We love you!" They chanted; Gohan and Chi-Chi enjoying his embarrassment, while Goten just enjoyed hugging his grandpa. "You're one of us! One of us! One of us!"

Despite the horrific predicament he was trapped in, the strange feeling began forming at the bottom of his gut while their laughter and cheers filled his ears.

Love.

What does that even mean?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I know you didn't want to see Vegeta again until you've got some more training in ya," Gohan was standing behind his grandfather, whose back was facing him but Bardock turned looked over his shoulder at him when he spoke. They were outdoors on the grass, Goten beside Bardock playing with some lady bugs. "But I was wondering if you'd like to go to Capsule Corp with me? I need to speak to Bulma."

"Bullmoose?"

Gohan smiled at his scrunched up expression, softly laughing to himself at the nickname Vegeta called his wife long before she became so. "Bulma. I need to ask her if she can alter my costume a bit since they don't allow helmets at the tournament."

"Ooh!" Goten smiled over at his grandfather, placing a lady bug on his shoulder. "So did you think about signing up yet, Grandpa!?"

Bardock flicked the bug off him, causing Goten to scream. "Overpopulation, kid. I'm doing them a favor."

"...Huh?"

"Nothing." The Saiyan stood up, brushing the grass that Goten had been strategically placing on him during their time outdoors. Once he was sure there was no more grass on his armor, his eyes settled on his oldest grandson who was waiting patiently for his answer. Bardock shrugged, feeling indifferent. "Sure, why not. I need to ask the prince a question, anyway."

Gohan grinned, but after seeing his grandfather brush off his armor he remembered something his mother had been dying to ask. "Oh, Bardock? Do you think it's okay if you could shower and put on some of my dad's clothes?"

"What!?" Bardock snarled, protectively placing his arms over his plated chest. "You're out of your mind, kid! Just like your Saiyafreak outfit, this is my style!"

Gohan scratched the back of his head, chuckling nervously. He knew this was going to be tough. "You'll have it back in a few hours, I promise! It's just my mom really wants to wash your armor so it's clean, and... Well, you kinda smell, Gramps."

"I knew it wasn't me!" Goten giggled, and pulled on Bardock's pant leg. "Ew, go shower!"

Bardock snarled, but gently kicked the child off him so he landed back alongside his lady bugs. He marched past the still chuckling Gohan, giving him the most dirty look in the world possible before heading back inside the house.

"Huh," Gohan crossed his arms over his chest, watching Bardock disappear and remembering the stories Bulma told him. "I guess it's true!"

"What?!" Goten jumped up and down excitedly, wanting to know what his big brother was talking about.

The teen laughed loudly. "Insulting a Saiyan's hygiene is the only way to get them to shower!"

Deep inside the Son home, Bardock was directed towards the bathroom by Kakarot's harpy. "You have my permission to go in my room and look in Goku's closet," Bardock mocked her voice, holding his hands on his hips to imitate her stance. "You pull out one pair of clothing, and you're out of there!' Tch, whatever." The Saiyan began to remove his blood stained headband on the bathroom counter, followed by his wrist bands.

The steam of the shower began to fog up the mirror he was in front of, signaling the water was now hot enough. He removed all his armor completely, and a basket in the corner of the room caught his eye. He leaned down to read the note that was attached to it.

Stinky Saiyan Armor Goes Here

Bardock rolled his eyes, and dropped his armor inside of it. Only the headband and wristbands remained on the counter top before he pulled the cream colored curtain back to step into the steaming hot water. Feeling the warmth touch his skin, Bardock threw his head back to allow it to travel down his face. He closed his dark orbs shut, prepared to enter relaxation mode.

"...Fuuuuu...sion...Haaaa!"

The male's eyes immediately opened, and he looked around frantically to see who the hell snuck into his shower. His breathing became uneven when he realized he was no longer in the bathroom, but on that same lookout from his previous vision.

What the hell is this place!? Why do I keep seeing it!?

"Yes, boys! You got it this time!"

Bardock jumped around to see the Namek once again, but this time he seemed a lot more relaxed. The Saiyan gasped when he noticed on the left side of the Namek was Chi-Chi, alive and well this time alongside that one blue-haired woman Gohan needed to see. Bardock blinked, his eyes trying to focus on the other female.

Are you fucking serious?

It was that one girl from Gohan's class, that nosy one with the yellow helicopter. Except her hair looked different; shorter. Bardock gripped his head in both of his palms as if it was going to roll off, and by the feel of it, it most likely would.

"Oh, wow!" The girl gasped. "He's a cutie, isn't he!?"

Bardock turned around to see who she was pointing at, who all of them were pointing at, and had to do a double take. In front of him was a young boy, looking like a mini Prince Vegeta, but his hair was purple on the sides. It wasn't the appearance that shocked him, it was the power he could actually feel coming from the boy.

The kid flashed a thumbs up at the group with a wink, oozing confidence.

"Yes!" Chi-Chi cheered, jumping up in the air. "Goten and Trunks, you did it!"

Goten and Trunks!? What the hell...

The sensation of hot water touching his skin once more caused Bardock to actually open his eyes. He was bent over for awhile trying to even out his breathing while turning the water off. It was a bit easier this time since there was no death involved, but his mind was going a mile a minute as he stepped out to wrap a towel around his waist.

That boy was Goten and Vegeta's kid... mixed together?

Bardock yanked his headband off the counter, clenching it in a fist while furrowing his brows together before opening the door.

...But how? What for?

Deciding to depict the vision later, Bardock shrugged it off and headed inside Chi-Chi's room. He rolled his eyes when he saw a sign indicating which closet was his son's, and tied his headband around his forehead before opening the doors. The male's face scrunched up in disgust looking at his options. "Kakarot, where the hell is your armor!?" His eyes settled on the only decent outfit, and shrugged. "I guess this will have to do."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The usually patient Gohan was now tapping his foot on the ground, wondering what was taking Bardock so long. "Gosh, you'd think he'd be done by now! I said he smelled a little, not to completely scrub his skin off!"

Goten yawned, looking at the sunset colored sky. "I was going to come with you guys so I can visit Trunks, but I think I'll just help Mama make dinner instead."

Gohan smiled down at his brother passing by, and rubbed the top of his head. "That's really nice of you, bro. I'll tell Trunks you said hi, okay?"

The boy grinned wildly despite his exhaustion, and was about to go inside when the door opened itself, causing the young boy to back up a few steps to get the full view of the person who did it.

"Whoa, Grandpa!" Goten laughed, pointing up at the Saiyan. "You're dressed like me!"

Gohan blinked, slightly frozen in place as he looked Bardock up and down. He was wearing one of his father's numerous orange doge, and although it wasn't in sight at the moment, Gohan was certain it had the King Kai symbol on the back. He was even wearing his father's boots, for crying out loud! If it weren't for the tail wrapped around his waist, the handband around his forehead, or the scar, Bardock would be Goku's double!

"So you just gonna stare, or can we get a move on!?"

"Uh, sorry Bardock." Gohan gulped, but began to chuckle to himself while running a hand through his jet black hair. "It's just uh, I can't believe that's what you picked."

The Saiyan raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest. "Is this a problem?"

"No, it's just that..." Gohan really wasn't sure what to say. He knew his mother dressed Goten in a similar fashion because they always joked around calling him a mini Goku, but seeing his full grown grandfather donning the gi caused memories to flood through him. Some that he didn't really want to remember. "The red headband clashes with the orange."

"Tch, like I'm taking fashion advice from the Saiyaman!" Bardock scoffed, heading towards his oldest grandson. His next words were spoken quietly. "Besides, I don't wear it for looks."

"What do you wear it for, then?" Gohan asked sincerely, but only received another scowl in return. The teen raised his hands in front of him, showing he meant no harm. "Alright, alright. Let's get going, I want to be back before dark!"

The teenager waved goodbye to his younger brother who was still ogling his grandfather with admiration, and took off with Bardock following suit. "Wow," the boy sighed, a smile on his face. "Cool!"

"What's cool?" Chi-Chi asked, coming up behind him with Bardock's wet now clean armor to hang up on the clothesline to dry.

Goten pointed towards the sky, where his brother and grandfather were barely visible. "I do dress like a hero!"

"Huh?" Chi-Chi followed the direction her young boy was pointing in, and she somehow managed to see Bardock dressed in Goku's gi. She smiled, shaking her head in disbelief. "Well, I'll be damned."

"Cursing, Mama!"

"Sorry!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So now she's blackmailing me!"

"Again?" Bulma took a drag of her cigarette, shaking her hand at her young visitor who was accompanied by Goku's father dressed in his son's attire. "What's up with you and girls blackmailing you, kid? Hm.. You know, now that I think about it, I bet she likes you!"

Gohan blushed, taking a step back. "No way! She wants to fight me! I'm serious, the girl is all about being tough. She hates that romantic stuff. I tried asking her on a date to the movies instead of the tournament, but she just wouldn't have it!"

"Hm," Bulma nodded, seemingly understand while ignoring the cursing Bardock on the couch. He was trying to get her mother to leave, but when she brought out the chocolate chip cookies he devoured them in seconds. "Well, I have the perfect solution to your helmet issue! Wait right here."

Gohan nodded gratefully as Bulma disappeared upstairs. As she headed up, a familiar face was heading down towards him. "Hi, Gohan!" Trunks smiled genuinely, waving at the teen who he considered a great friend. "What are you guys doing back so soon?"

"Your mom went to work on my outfit a little bit, I need to change it for the World Martial Arts Tournament," Gohan beamed, oblivious to the look exchanged between the lavender haired boy and the older Super Saiyan on the couch who was stuffed with cookies. "Hey, maybe you should sign up, Trunks!"

"Sign up for what?"

Bardock's ears perked up when he heard the familiar voice, standing up abruptly and nearly knocking over the blonde woman who hovered over him. He was surprised to see Vegeta wearing a pair of sweats and a muscle shirt, looking so... humanized. The Saiyan slightly sweatdropped, looking down at his own temporary outfit and decided not to mention it.

"Oh, hey Vegeta!" Gohan chuckled nervously, watching the muscle bound prince wipe sweat off his neck with a simple white towel. "I was just telling Trunks how he should sign up for the World Martial Arts Tournament."

The widow peaked one looked the teen up and down with hooded eyes, and then broke out into a cruel laughter. "Oh, God! Don't tell me a slacker such as yourself is entering!?" He crossed his arms over his chest, a smirk on his face forming from his amusement. "I think I'll join for one just to beat you."

Aw, crap... Goodbye, prize money, it was nice dreamin' of ya!

Gohan looked down at his boots, not quite sure what to say until Bulma's voice caused him to raise his head back up. She was holding a pair of sunglasses and a turban. "Here, try this on!" The blue-haired woman smiled warmly, handing him his new accessories and the boy took it with an eager smile.

"Oh boy, oh boy!" Gohan began wrapping the turban around his head, and when he placed his sunglasses on he immediately felt like a bad dude for real. He flashed the peace sign on both fingers at Vegeta's family before him, grinning widely. "Huh!? Huh!? Whaddya think!?"

"It's uh..." Trunks sweatdropped, scratching the back of his head. Okay, he didn't really want to be like Gohan anymore. "It... looks great."

Not detecting the sarcasm, Gohan's grin grew even wider. But leave it to good ol' Vegeta to knock him down. "You look like a total moron!" Through his peripherals, he caught the image of something orange - the color he most detested - and turned his head to see Bardock approaching them. Vegeta opened his mouth, but then closed it to take in the sight. His left eye twitched when he realized Bardock was wearing his clown of son's dogi but kept the stupid headband on to differentiate himself. The prince opened his mouth again. "You look almost as idiotic as your grandfather! I guess it runs in the family."

Bardock chuckled darkly, stepping in front of the prince and smirked larger when he realized just how much he towered over the other only full blooded Saiyan alive. "I'm thinking about entering, too. What do you have to say about that?"

Vegeta flashed his teeth, laughing just as menacingly as Gohan remembered on Namek. "Are you fucking kidding me!? You're worse off than the slacker! I'll beat both of you down so fast and claim the first prize without even using my wrist."

"I wouldn't be so confident, Vegeta!"

The group of five froze, looking around at each other to confirm they heard a voice that wasn't in the room with them. Gohan felt his eyes slightly begin to swell up, immediately recognizing the kindhearted voice. "Dad!? Is that you!?" Bardock shot him a look, but was equally frozen where he stood. "Please tell me it's you!"

"...Kakarot..." Bardock blinked, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from, looking almost indentical to the equally confused Trunks. The boy pulled on his mother's pant leg.

"Who's talking?!"

"An old friend," Bulma already had a few tears sliding down her cheek, her eyes glimmering in disbelief. "Goku..."

"Heya, guys!" The chipper voice cleared up their hunches. The dead hero had his hand placed on the shoulder of King Kai, an enormous smile on his face. "Trunks, you haven't been telling Gohan the truth about his outfit, have ya?"

The lavender-haired boy blinked, slightly blushing. "How... How does he know my name?"

Goku and King Kai just chuckled in response. "Gohan! King Kai has been keeping me informed about what's been going on... We have a visitor from the past staying with us, right?"

"Uh," Gohan blinked a few times, looking directly at his grandfather who just looked up at the ceiling in silent awe. "Y-Yeah, Dad. Do you know who he is?"

Thinking back to the conversation he had the other day with his old mentor, Goku just smiled while shaking his head. Honestly, he didn't really know how to feel about this Bardock guy, but his heart gave him an answer. "I know you're there listening, Bardock, and I know you know who I am. I wanted to thank you for not killing my family and friends."

It took awhile for the Saiyan father to react, but eventually Bardock scoffed and tried to look away from the ceiling as if that would hide him from his son. "Whatever." He spoke it so quietly, that Gohan had to strain to listen.

"...Anyway, Dad, what's up?" The boy knew his father only contacted him when it was something important or newsworthy. Other times, he was sure his dad was off on his own journey in Other World, finding new enemies that would turn into friends like the usual.

"Baba checked up on it for me, and she gave me the great news! I get to come back home for a whole day!"

"WHAT!?" Gohan and Bulma looked at each other at the same time, giddyness taking over their complete features as they jumped up and down for joy. Vegeta rolled his eyes at his wife's reaction to her beloved dog, while Trunks just scratched his head not exactly knowing what was so special about this.

"Yup, that's right!" Goku winked, and the sound of dead fighters training in the background filled his ears. "I'll be there on the day of the World Martial Arts Tournament to compete and then spend the rest of the day with my family!"

"Alright!" Gohan waved a fist in the air, jumping up excitedly while Bardock just stood beside him with his mouth agape.

Kakarot...He sounds so... cheerful.

"Very well," Vegeta chuckled, glowering up at wherever his old rival was at the moment. "I'll just end up beating you as well, Kakarot."

Goku smirked, while King Kai snorted. "Yeah, well, miracles can happen I guess. Gohan, can you tell your mom I'm coming home?"

Gohan smiled warmly, trying to hide the painful joy that just wanted to escape him. "Yeah, Dad. Of course."

"Funny," Goku laughed, slightly sweatdropping. "Goten and I both get to meet our fathers for the very first time."

The four pairs of eyes were now on Bardock, who was now realizing that him and his son had more similarities than he had once thought. Without thinking, a small smile crossed the Saiyan's face. God help him, a smile! "See you soon then, kid."

Goku felt a strange feeling in his stomach, but unlike his grandfather, realized what it meant. It assured him that Bardock was perhaps a good person after all, that he could trust him to take care of his family until it was time for Bardock to travel somewhere else. And maybe, just maybe, there was no evil in his heart anymore like King Kai predicted. "All it takes is twenty four hours with you guys..."

"Huh? Gohan scratched the back of his head. "What's that, Dad?"

"Uh, whoops!" Goku sweatdropped, chuckling nervously. "Sorry, didn't mean to say that out loud! I'll see you in a few weeks, son! Take care!"

"Bye, Dad!"

"Goodbye, Goku! See you soon!" Bulma waved up at the cieling, causing Vegeta to grow more irritated as his smirk disappeared. He turned his back on his family, heading back towards his gravity room while scowling to himself.

Dammit, now there is absolutely no more time to waste...

Speaking of hybrids, his son's voice came from behind him. "Where are you going, Dad?"

The widow-peaked Saiyan looked over his shoulder to still see the low class dog and his equally ridiculous looking kin staring at him from behind his son. The prince motioned for Trunks to follow him, and the boy obediently ran to his side. "Come on, son. We're going to train every second of the day. I want you to make an embarrassment out of anyone with Kakarot's blood in them."

Trunks laughed to himself, not fully understanding what his father had against Goten's family but knowing there had to be an ounce of care for them in his heart. "Alright, Dad! Just watch out when I go Super Saiyan on your butt!"

Does the boy really think he's a Super Saiyan?!

Bardock wasn't sure, but he thought he heard a bit of genuine laughter escape the prince's lips as he watched the father and son duo disappear into the room where he got his ass beat. After a moment, he just shrugged.

There was no way Prince Vegeta would ever laugh for the sheer joy of the moment.

That was just absurd.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bardock watched from his usual sitting spot as Chi-Chi and that strange girl were arguing in front of Gohan. He zoned out half of the time, but caught bits and pieces of it. Apparently, the stalker chick found out where Gohan lives and was demanding for her flying lessons.

His now freshly cleaned armor rested on his body in a perfect fit while he laid back, chewing on a piece of grass. The two women yapped on and on, back and forth, even having a little raspberry war that was getting too obscene for the male.

A good couple of days had gone by, and Bardock was beginning to pick up a usual routine. He would wake up every morning with the foot of Goten in his mouth, toss the kid aside to beat him to the breakfast table, do a little bit of yoga throughout the day followed by his series of a thousand one finger push ups until Chi-Chi announced it was lunch time. After lunch, Goten would beg him to do more yoga stances together and then the two would go outside, Bardock watching the child play with whatever fascinating thing he found.

Having Gohan around more since Chi-Chi pulled him out of school for the tournament training wasn't bad at all, either. The three boys would go out to the wasteland together, and show off their own techniques to each other for awhile so Gohan could figure out the best way to teach them what he knew. It shocked the teen that his brother could turn into a Super Saiyan at such a young age, but shocked him even more so when he learned the boy couldn't fly.

So, Bardock now laid on the grass listening to the squabble a few yards away.

"Aw, come on Mom!" Gohan smiled, nervous sweat forming on his forehead. He couldn't believe just how alike his mother was to Videl. It was almost as if it was fate to meet her. "She just wants to learn how to fly! She's not going to beat me so easily just knowing that silly old technique!"

Chi-Chi's scowl slowly began to disappear from his face, but a frown remained as well as her crossed arms. The aging woman sighed. Perhaps having her sons busy with this girl would give herself some time to pamper herself and figure out how she can look good for her returning husband. "Fine, just don't come in late, alright?"

Gohan smiled thankfully at his mother before signaling Videl and Goten to follow him to the open meadow behind his home. On his way, he looked down at the laying Bardock. "You wanna come, Gramps? Maybe you'll get to see Goten fly today!"

The Saiyan opened his closed eyes fully, mumbling something inaudible under his breath but Gohan was pretty sure it was more profanity. He rose to his feet, glaring at the still suspicious girl while doing so. "Fine, but this better be quick!"

The group of four headed towards the grassy meadow. Videl was starring at Bardock's wrapped around tail the entire time, still not sure how it was a fashion accessory. "So, can I ask you something?"

"Ugh," Bardock rolled his eyes, focusing on his grandson's back as they headed down a hill. "Go ahead."

Videl played with the black tresses of one of her pig tails, curling it around her finger while managing a glare his direction. "Cinnamon City is a long, long way from here yet you're around Gohan all the time...what's the deal?"

"What the fuck is Cinnamon City?"

"Ekh!" Gohan turned around abruptly to face the suspicious girl and upfront grandfather, sweating profusely. The darn girl already found out the secret of Saiyaman, she didn't need to know anything else! "Yeah, you know, Gramps! Your good old home, Cinnamon City." The boy spoke through clenched teeth, causing Videl to raise an eyebrow but she never took her baby blues off Bardock.

This fucking kid owes me.

The Saiyan shrugged, wanting nothing more than to get her training over with so she'd leave. "Just taking a long vacation."

"Ah..." Videl nodded, remaining suspicious but deciding to let it go. She would have plenty of time to figure out this stranger she didn't trust one bit. Not to mention, his grandson. The group of four started up again, and Videl was staring at the back of Gohan while slightly blushing at the way his muscles were out on full display from his tank. With all of his long sleeves he wore to school, she would have never guessed he was the type to workout.

The crew abruptly stopped, Gohan waving his arms in a full circle around them to emphasize this was the place they were going to learn how to take flight. "Welcome to my dojo!" The teen laughed while Bardock and Videl just stared at him oddly, but Goten joined in on the laughter. "Well, first things first! Let's all sit around in a circle!"

"Are we having some sort of campfire, or are we going to learn how to fly!?" Videl snapped, causing Bardock to raise an eyebrow her direction.

Hey, I kinda like this brat!

Gohan chuckled, trying to calm her down. "I just need to explain a couple of things before we start, and since I don't know how long it's going to take I didn't want our legs growing tired." Bardock shot him a look, but Gohan just pleaded with his eyes to keep his mouth shut. Of course, they were fine standing up for hours. It was Videl he was concerned with.

The group sat on the grass, Goten eagerly awaiting to hear what Gohan had to say while Videl impatiently began to tap her fingers against her crossed arms. Bardock, remaining indifferent, opted to stay silent and let the kid do what he wanted.

"In order to learn how to fly, one must understand about energy." Gohan clasped his hands together, mimicking one of his professors. "Basically, you take control of said energy and then you sort of put it underneath you and then that energy holds you up!"

"Uh huh, uh huh!" Goten nodded, his eyes sparkling.

"What the heck do you mean 'energy'!?" Videl pressed, one of her eyebrows arched while Bardock let out a long sigh.

Gohan scratched his chin, trying to find a way to explain it in layman's terms. "Well, it's like a power you can feel inside of your body!"

Videl self consciously covered up her chest even more, slightly offended. "Who are you to be talking about my body!?"

"Oh," Gohan groaned, rubbing the back of his head while chuckling softly in defeat. "I don't know if I can find the right words for this..."

"Shall we demonstrate, Goten?"

The teenage shot a menacing glare towards his grandfather's direction, who was now standing up. Goten stood up as well, running to Bardock's side in excitement. The two extended their palms forward, aiming at a large rock. Videl gasped when she saw two orbs of light form in their hands as the ki blast shot out at an alarming speed to disintegrate the rock. The small remains landed by her boots, and she was at a loss for words.

"It's a trick!"

Gohan held back some laughter, remembering Hercule's favorite word during the Cell Games. "Nope, I assure you it's all real!"

Videl stood up and began snapping at the teen. "WELL IF IT ISN'T A TRICK, I'VE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE MY ENTIRE LIFE!"

Gohan immediately got off the grass, trying to calm her down. "Gosh, this is going to be harder than I thought..."

The girl took a few steps towards him, but she didn't appear to be angry anymore. "So, I can't fly if I don't have this energy?"

The teenager raised both hands in front of her, not sure if he was trying to keep her calm or protect himself from her. "Everyone has it inside of them!" He felt his voice lower, almost at a sudden loss for words when she flashed her blue eyes up at him that were shimmering with something he couldn't detect. "You just have to find it."

Videl smirked, more determined than ever. "I will."

"Heh, alright then..." The boy was finally able to escape her eyes and looked down at his brother. "Goten, can you and Grandpa go play somewhere else? I need to teach Videl how to use her energy."

Goten pouted, wanting to see all of the action take place but Bardock was already reaching a hand down to him. "Come on, kid. This is all pointless, anyway."

"HEY!" Videl turned around to snap at him, causing the Saiyan's eye to twitch. These damn females were always doing that to him! "I can and will learn!"

Bardock shrugged, slightly believing the girl but not really caring. Goten reached up to wrap his small hand around his grandfather's before he waved goodbye to Gohan. "Have fun! I'll be back!"

"I don't doubt it!" Gohan laughed while watching the two begin to disappear down the meadow while settling his eyes back on Videl. He motioned for her to sit back down on the grass with him, and the two were face to face. The boy blinked a couple of times, looking at her. In the moments of pure silence, Videl was actually...

Kinda beautiful.

Shaking away the thought, Gohan calmly placed two hands in front of his chest, prepared to form an energy ball. "First of all, you need to completely calm yourself. Listen to the center of your body until you start to feel a pull." Videl's eyes widened and she gasped as she saw a light forming in the center of his hands. She leaned in closer to examine it, causing the teenager to sweat profusely at the invasion of personal space. A smile managed to cross his otherwise nervous features when he saw her blue orbs become overtaken by the energy ball. "Cool, isn't it?"

The teenager stood up so he was looking down at the wide-eyed girl. "Alright," he spoke softly, trying to bring a calm aura around them. "Why don't you try?"

Videl blinked a couple of times, and then finally nodded when coming out of her momentary daze. She placed her hands in the same manner Gohan did earlier, trying to focus on the center of her body. Gohan sweatdropped seeing how tense her body was becoming, and let out a small chuckle while the girl grunted and shook. "You've got to relax your muscles, Videl!"

The girl looked up at him suddenly, the tears forming in her beautiful blues momentarily causing him to forget how to breath. "I just have to make this work! I just have to!"

"KIDS, LUNCH TIME!" It still amazed the boy just how loud his mother could yell. He reached a hand down to Videl, smiling reassuringly.

"Come on, let's just relax for a bit and we'll try again."

Videl looked up at his smile, feeling a strange feeling in her stomach at his kind gesture. Even though she's been so pushy and demanding to the guy, he was still as polite as ever. Here she was thinking it was all a front to give himself a "good guy" vibe at school, but Gohan truly was this sweet. Sighing, she grasped his hand as he pulled her up.

The two teens tried hard to ignore the fact that they fit perfectly together.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You dumb kid!" Bardock glared down at his jumping grandson, who was making a scrunched up face. "Hopping isn't the same as flying! Didn't you hear your brother's speech earlier? Use your damn energy!"

Goten landed on the grass, his joyful expression suddenly becoming serious as he nodded at his grandfather. He was determined to learn how to fly; to be able to go up in the sky without relying on Nimbus so he could start really training with his big brother. The child's eyebrows furrowed as he focused on the center of his body, feeling all of his energy there.

The grass around the two blew furiously for a moment, and Bardock raised an eyebrow at his youngest grandson. "Keep focusing, kid! I think you're almost there." His lips lifted up to reveal pearly white fangs once Goten began to levitate up. The bastard was smiling, Kami help him, actually smiling! "Kid! That's it! You're flying!"

Goten awkwardly moved through the sky, trying to get the hang of being at a higher elevation. He was grinning and laughing wildly, the joy in his eyes reflecting in his grandpa's smile. He had been hoping and wanting to learn one of the biggest skills by his brother, but maybe Bardock wasn't a bad choice after all. The child moved in a straight horizontal line, cheering and getting the hang of it. "I'm a birdie! I'm a birdie!"

"Don't go too high up kid, you're still fresh to this and if you drop I'm not saving your ass!" As if on cue, Goten fell onto the ground with a thud, causing Bardock to slap himself in the forehead before running to the crying child's side. "What did I just get through telling you!?"

"KIDS, LUNCH TIME!"

Bardock's ears perked up, hearing Chi-Chi's call at the same moment his stomach began to rumble. He reached a hand down to Goten, who grabbed it immediately. "Look, your brother is going to be able to teach you better than I can once that girl scrams. For now, just remember that you can in fact fly and you'll get better."

Goten looked up at his grandpa's face, wiping a tear away with his free hand and a familiar smile crossed his face. "Wow, you really mean it, Grandpa!?"

Bardock just simply nodded, and the two started walking back to the house. The smile couldn't leave Goten's face as he realized his grandfather never let go of his hand the entire way.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"This looks great, Chi-Chi!" Videl beamed, taking a bite of her rice with chopsticks. Outside on the picnic table, Goten and Bardock shared a seat while Gohan sat across from them, happily eating away. Videl was facing Chi-Chi, and trying to be as sweet as possible to the woman after accidentally being rude before. Taking a bite of the rice, the girl's eyes lit up. "Wow! This is great! I should give this recipe to our cook!"

"Cook!?" Chi-Chi dropped her chopstick, looking at the girl across from her in shock. "Does your family own a restaurant!?"

Videl laughed, taking another bite of the delicious cooking. "No, the cook in our house!"

The boys hungrily and nosily ate away, ignoring the conversation going in between them. Gohan tried sneaking a meatball away from Bardock, but the male quickly slapped his hand away. Gohan looked as if he was drinking his rice bowl. Chi-Chi let out a loud gasp after blinking few times. "Your family must be loaded! How many rooms do you have in your house, anyway!? Ten!? Twenty!?"

"Hm," Videl tapped her chin, trying to think while Chi-Chi looked at her in disbelief. She didn't actually think the girl had that big of a home! "I think it's around fifty."

"Fifty!?" Chi-Chi nearly spat up the sip of water she just took, looking over at Gohan and nudging closer to him. "You're planning on marrying this girl, right!?"

Gohan spit his rice out, the remains splattering all over the faces of Bardock and Goten. "Hey!" The boy yelled, but there a smile on his face compared to Bardock's scowl. "Does this mean Videl is going to be my sister!?"

The teenager jumped to his feet, waving his bowl of rice and chopsticks around frantically. "YOU GUYS ARE SO EMBARRASSING! I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!"

Videl side-eyed him, a slight blush on her face as she suddenly thought about living on this secluded, peaceful, and beautiful place with the awkward yet adorable boy, his sweet little brother, his hard-working mother, and his rough on the edges grandfather. Blinking the thought away, Videl cleared her throat and fully looked at the frantic teen. "I think I'm done eating for now, Gohan-"

"For now," Bardock muttered to Goten, who giggled.

"-Do you think we can try making the energy ball again?"

Eager to get out of the embarrassing situation he was in, the boy quickly thanked his mother and grabbed Videl's wrist, running to the meadow they were in prior to his humiliating lunch. Chi-Chi sighed, looking at the nearly full dishes before her. "I knew I shouldn't have done so much! The girl is so tiny, of course there would be too many leftovers!"

Upon hearing the 'L' word, Bardock and Goten exchanged a look before tackling the dishes, fighting over what food remained. Chi-Chi looked at the two males fighting on the table top, not even bothering to scold them.

She was too busy planning her son's wedding in her mind.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I can feel it, Videl! You're so close!" Gohan grinned down at the girl, whose body was no longer tense this time around as she focused on the orb's light flickering around in her hands. He dark orbs were focused on the light, silently rooting for Videl to find her energy.

Videl's eyes light up as a smile finally crossed her pensive features when the orb grew to the size of Gohan's from earlier. "Ah, yeah! You got it!" Gohan was beaming ear to ear, actually proud of the human. "Since you've been doing martial arts for so long, it was easier to tap into your powers! Very good!"

The energy ball suddenly disappeared as the Videl let out a heavy, exhausted sigh and she had to lean over to catch her breath from a moment. Gohan was alarmed until she looked up to smile at him. She stood up, raising her fists in the air. "So you think I can fly now, Gohan!?"

"Whoa! Calm down!" Gohan laughed, scratching the back of his head at her eagerness. For a moment, he imagined Goten. "You have to learn to control that energy first!"

Videl scowled at him. "Well, don't just stand there! Let's do this thing!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Let's try this again, kid, and no more falling on your ass!"

"I think my butt is bruised!" Goten giggled, meaning that he agreed with his scowling grandfather in front of him. After a good hour of levitating up, the boy was able to get higher each time. The goal was to get up high enough for a good fight, and not end up falling this time. Bardock had his hands crossed over his chest, tapping his fingers impatiently against his biceps while Goten kept going higher and higher.

"Good! Now, stop there!" The boy obeyed as Bardock brought himself towards him. He felt his muscles relax realizing the child was no longer straining to stay up. "Alright, kid. Punch me."

"Huh?" Goten giggled, scratching the back of his head. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Bardock nodded, smirking at his grandson. "I think your old man can handle it."

Goten grinned, and raised a fist back by his by ear. He closed the distance between himself and his grandfather, his arm extending until his fist crushed against the side of Bardock's jaw. To the boy's shock, his grandfather turned his head against the impact while still smirking. "Nice try, kid. But you're going to have to move faster than that!" Bardock raised his leg towards the outside of his body, passing the front of him at an alarming speed, and dropped it down to the much shorter Goten. The heel of Bardock's foot hit Goten on the face gently, but still sent him spiraling downwards.

The Saiyan glared down at the descending body. "Come on kid," he muttered to himself. "Catch yourself."

Goten felt his eyes swell up with tears, but fought to keep them at bay. He stopped himself right before he hit the ground, and glowered up at his grandfather with determination. He let out a small yell, feeling his energy push himself up at he charged back towards his grandpa.

Bardock flashed his fangs once more that afternoon, getting into another fighting stance mid air. "That's my boy."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Gohan watched with wide eyes as his little brother came flying over to him, followed by Bardock. When they landed in front of him, Gohan knelt down to punch Goten gently on the shoulder with a giant grin. "I can't believe it! You learned so fast!" He smiled up at his grandfather, who just shrugged in return.

"No big deal," he smirked, causing Videl to scowl at Gohan.

"Maybe your grandfather should've taught me, too!" The impatient girl stamped her foot, not necessarily frustrated by her teacher, but more by herself. Gohan laughed nervously, standing up to face the girl. "Okay, Videl. Remember, relax your muslces. Focus your energy. You can do this."

The boys took a step back, observing the female while her eyebrows furrowed. They watched as her long hair began to blow wildly against her face; her long shirt doing the same. "That's the energy!" Gohan took a step forward, now encouraging her outloud. "Now push it up!"

Bardock raised an eyebrow as his grandsons gasped at the sight of the female beginning to levitate. "Yeah!" Gohan fist pumped the air, cheering loudly. "You're floating! You got it!"

Videl scowled at him, speaking through clenched teeth. "Gohan, I'm trying to concentrate!"

The boy turned bright red, scratching the back of his head. "Oops, sorry! I'm just so happy for ya!"

The momentary levitation ended, Videl landing on the ground softly but not looking as impressed as the teen thought she'd be. She glared at him, signaling him to continue his praise. Taking the message, Gohan sweatdropped but smiled brightly. "Wow! That was incredible! Nobody learns how to fly their first day!"

The girl raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" She pointed at the flying child, who became bored with Videl's levitation while doing figure 8's in the sky. He kept chanting about being a bird, causing Bardock to slap himself in the forehead out of sheer embarrassment.

The kid actually looked like a Saiyan fighting me, and now he's a fucking canary!

"I want to fly like that!" Videl finally looked away from the child and refocused on Gohan. Her watch started beeping, signaling it was time to head home before her father caught on to where she was. "But I've got to go. We'll continue this tomorrow, right, Saiyaman?"

The teen pulled at his collar nervously, slightly panicked when he remembered she knew about his double life. "Alright, Videl. You got it." He watched as the girl headed towards the yellow helicopter she showed up in, but he quickly stopped her in her tracks. "Oh, wait! I was thinking...about your hair."

"Huh?" The girl looked over her shoulder at him.

"Yeah... It might be...better short."

Videl absentmindedly ran a hand down one of her long, black pig tails. She flashed her eyes up at Gohan, resembling sparkling ocean water while a small blush crossed her face. "So you mean, you like short hair on girls?"

"Uh, no!" Gohan hurriedly placed a finger in the air. "I was just thinking it'll get in the way while you're flying, and your opponent could grab onto it during a fight and-" He took a step back, seeing the previously blushing girl before him erupt into a fit of rage.

"JUST STAY OUT MY HAIR AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" She roared, and quickly jumped into her jet to take off. Gohan stood, frozen while watching the contraption disappear from sight.

Goten landed by his confused brother, equally feeling the same way. "What the heck was wrong with her?!"

"I don't... know!" Gohan cried out, feeling like an idiot until Bardock came up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I think it's time you teach us a little something now, kid."

Shaking away the strange moment that just happened, Gohan nodded up at his grandfather and took a few steps back so he was looking at his new trainees. He thought for a moment, trying to figure out something simple but useful to teach since he was already worn out for the day. "Hm, are you guys familiar with the Kamehameha wave?"

Goten tilted his head, signifying he had no clue while Bardock just simply shook his head. "Is it useful?"

"Oh, yeah!" Gohan nodded, and thought of something even more convincing to tell his grandfather. "My dad told me he used this against Vegeta during their first fight and nearly sent him back to space!"

"Excellent!" Bardock smirked, actually feeling a bit excited to get trained by someone for once. Even if it was his dorky grandson. "Where do we start?"

The teenager instructed them to cup their hands to their sides, demonstrating the position as well. "Alright, now concentrate your ki!" The trio concentrated their energy in the single point between their cupped hands. "Now charge the attack, like this!"

"Kaaaaameee..." The orb began to grow brighter, bigger, and stronger in Gohan's hands, causing Bardock and Goten to repeat every word he was saying in the same manner while their own energy began to charge.

"Haaameeee..." Goten sweated slightly at the immense power he was feeling in his tiny hands, and knew they were about to release it.

"HAAAAAA!" Gohan's blast was sent flying through the meadow first, followed by Goten's, and then Bardock's. Gohan laughed, proud and amused that his grandfather's seemed to be the most powerful one.

"Just imagine, Gramps!" Gohan patted him the back, and was surprised Bardock didn't snarl. He was too busy looking at his hands in shock. "If you put even more energy into that, and as a Super Saiyan, just imagine what you can do!"

No, I will not fucking smile this time.

He lied.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Goten tossed and turned more than usual that night, affecting both Bardock and Gohan were deperately trying to sleep. The tournament was tomorrow and they needed their rest after a brutal week of training. To Goten, tomorrow was the day he would meet his father for the first time.

"Aren't you nervous, Grandpa?" Goten fiddled with his thumbs, staring up at the ceiling. "This will be your first time meeting my dad, too."

"No," Bardock snapped, trying to cover his ears with the pillow. "Go to sleep!" The Saiyan was already peeved off about Gohan not ever helping him achieve his ascension, now the other grandchild was whining! To make it even worse, Videl with her newly fresh haircut kept reminding him that his visions were going to happen soon.

Goten ignored him, still feeling the nervousness in his belly. "Gohan, what's my dad like?"

Sighing in defeat, Gohan knew the only way to get his brother to sleep was to make sure the child was happy first. Trying to think of the perfect words to say, a sleepy smile crossed the teen's face. "He's like an angel, Goten. Whenever he's around, you just feel safe."

"Ah!" Goten's eyes sparkled, finally feeling a bit more at ease. "An angel!"

Bardock's eyes twitched at the lame comparison, but felt slight guilt at the mention of it. Was his son really this giant hero everyone had made him out to be? A few days ago, Gohan brought him to the island of the turtle hermit that first taught his son the Kamehameha Wave. On the island, was a short, previous bald man who was married to a robot or something like that. The shorty went on and on about 'Goku', and although the stories of how he wounded Vegeta's pride amused him to no end, there was still so much he didn't know about his son.

Would Kakarot ever view him, the Saiyan who murdered as many people as Vegeta and perhaps even more, as a father? Or was he just a temporary guest? Bardock rolled his eyes, flipping over while cursing to himself.

Why the fuck should I care, anyway?

"Seriously, now, goodnight guys!" Gohan spoke one last time before setting his alarm on the clock beside him. "Bulma is coming over early to pick us up in her helicopter!"

"What!? Why the fuck can't we fly?" Bardock snarled, not looking up at his grandson but hoping he could feel the heat of his glare.

"We can't have people seeing us fly onto the island, Gramps! It's not that common to earthlings, you know?"

Bardock remained silent, remembering how shocked Gohan's little girlfriend thing was to learn about flying. It sort of impressed him that she could fly almost as well as Goten, but knew his grandchild would improve over time while she was at her maximum. "Night, kids."

"Goodnight!" Gohan and Goten said at the same time, and once more Bardock was the only one awake in the whole house.

He turned over on his side, trying to forget about the vision he had just after dinner with the strange purple haired 'Shin' who fought alongside Gohan against this impossible to beat pink blob, and the image of Prince Vegeta with an 'M' stamped on his forehead in the back of his mind.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Bardock, this is Piccolo!" Gohan introduced his grandfather to his beloved Namek, and his grandfather awkwardly struck out a hand. He figured this was just a custom for the inhabitants of earth. Piccolo, in the same awkward fashion, grabbed his hand and gave it a good shake before the two blushed in embarrassment.

"So," the Namek looked the Saiyan up and down, smirking. "Dende was right; Goku's prodigal father has returned."

"Yeah," Gohan laughed nervously, looking between the two. "I hope he's filled you in on everything, because I'm getting exhausted explaining it!"

Piccolo looked over Gohan suddenly, and his lips twisted up in disgust. "Gohan, you're not seriously wearing that, are you?"

The teen huffed, crossing his arms over his chest while Bardock surprised some laughter. "What!? It's the latest style!"

"You look like a nerd."

"Thank you!" Bardock raised his hands up in the air, finally glad someone told the boy. "I've been wanting for that this entire time!"

Piccolo chuckled darkly, and then turned his attention backed to the upset Saiyaman. "So, kid. Have you seen your father yet?"

The familiar group of faces had all shown up together to meet at the gates of the tournament temple. The sound of cheers filled their ears as groupies ran to greet Mr. Satan, causing the Z Fighters to roll their eyes. Everyone but Vegeta, Trunks, and 18 were searching the sea of people to try and find the familiar hairstyle with an accompanying halo.

"Anything yet?" Chi-Chi called out, desperately.

"Nope!" Krillin shouted, causing Bardock to snort.

"As if you could see anything!"

"Hey!"

The group grew silent as they felt the familiar ki of their hero, along with his chipper voice, coming from behind them. They turned around slowly, seeing Goku with that same goofy grin he had in his face before he died. Alongside him was Baba the fortuneteller on her crystal ball, looking impatient.

"GOKU!" Chi-Chi shouted, tears in her eyes along with Bulma and even Krillin began falling down her face. Nobody could move, it was if they were glued to where they stood.

Bardock blinked, taking in the sight of the man he had seen numerous times in his visions. He had seemed to bulk up quite a bit, but the expression remained the same. That god awful, strange, unknown but continuous feeling began to rumble through his stomach as his son began to take a few steps towards him. During that long moment of observing Kakarot, he had already wrapped his hands around his wife and oldest son. It wasn't until the sensation of small hands holding on tightly to his leg did Bardock realize Goten was hiding behind him.

Everyone grew silent, watching as Goku stood before the two members of his family he had never met before. It was hard to tell what he was feeling with that usual happy expression hard to wipe off his face, but Gohan could see his father's body tense up a bit as he approached Bardock.

The Saiyan hero looked into the widened eyes of his father, slightly touching his own face when realizing he was almost looking into a mirror. During his time in Other World, King Kai had been telling him about all the adventures and moments Bardock had been sharing with his sons and wife, and Goku couldn't see the Saiyan monster he was meant to be looking at. There was still a little tint of something under the surface of his dark orbs, but it was the same situation with Vegeta and Goku held no fear to his old rival at all.

A smile spread across the face of the fallen hero as he extended a hand towards Bardock for him to shake. Chi-Chi began softly crying when she saw Bardock take his son in fully, giving him a hug so strong that she could actually feel it. The father didn't know what to say, but held onto his son for one more moment before releasing him.

Still not sure the right words to tell him, Goku's eyes wondered to the spikes of hair peaking out from behind Bardock's leg. "It looks like there's a little me behind your legs!"

Bardock looked down at the child who was now beginning to emerge, and nudged him towards the other Saiyan who was now kneeling down so they could be closer in height. "Say hi, Goten..." He cleared his throat, the little boy nervously looking up at him. "He's... a good man."

Goku smiled gratefully up at his father, and then settled that same smile on the child. "Hi! My name is Goku!"

"My name is Goten." The boy bit his lower lip, somehow feeling like he was going to cry. The two looked at each other for a moment longer, and Goten just couldn't hold it in. Tears fell from his eyes as he closed the distance between himself and his daddy, crying while Goku caught him in his arms. "Dad!"

Standing up, Goku held his son high above his son. "You wanna be an airplane, Goten!?"

"Yeah, yeah!" The boy cheered, and his father raised him up higher and spun him around gently. The laughter that came from the young boy captured Goku's heart completely, reassuring him that there was no reason to doubt Goten might have some hatred towards him. It would take a long time, but Goten would learn to love the man.

Just like he had to learn to love his own father.


	9. The Legendary Super Saiyan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone so sorry about taking so long to add all the chapters on here. The story has been complete for years on FFN but transferring everything over takes some time lol. I also apologize for all the glaring grammar issues. I have grown a lot since I wrote this but I just want to get it all up before I do the edits.
> 
> I just wanted to say the community here is so sweet and amazing. I love it so much. I wish I could just post all my new things on here lol. Sorry for the long break! Hubby and I are planning on starting a family so I'm just to complete my stories on FFN with the best quality I can before my heart and hands are full. <3 All completed ones will be available here.

After spending much needed time to catch up on what's been happening during everyone's lives, Goku let his friends go ahead of him so he could walk with his family. Chi-Chi locked her arm in his, resting her head against his shoulder while Goten held tightly onto his free hand, gazing up at him like he was mythical being that had come to life.

Bardock and Gohan followed behind, and the Saiyaman nudged his grandfather with his shoulder. "So how are you feeling right now, Gramps?" Through his sunglasses, it was easy to hide the giddy shimmer that was forming in the teen's eyes. He swore he saw it in Bardock's as well, but the Saiyan was so good at hiding his emotions it was hard to tell exactly what was going through his mind.

Bardock let out a ragged breath, looking away from the back of his son's head to focus on the boy beside him. "To be honest, kid, I'm not really sure."

Gohan frowned, rubbing the back of his turban covered head. "What do you mean?"

"Well, shit, I don't know!" Bardock snarled, causing Gohan to back up a few inches. "I'm meeting my full grown son for the first fucking time! How do you think I'm suppose to feel!?"

"Easy, easy!" Gohan chuckled, sweatdropping while raising his hands in front of him to show he meant no harm. "I just thought, ya know... that hug and everything..."

Bardock looked down at his green tipped boots in embarrassment. "Fatherly instinct," he mumbled almost inaudibly, but it caused Goku to look over his shoulder at him. His father raised his head slowly so their eyes locked for a moment before he continued. "Even Saiyans have it."

Gohan reached a hand out to touch his shoulder, not longer surprised when he didn't slap it away. "You're not the same Saiyan you were when I first found you, you know that don't you?"

After Goku finally faced forward again, Bardock looked at his grandson with an expression Gohan could only describe as a mixture of sadness and shame. "I've been here much longer than I was on Planet Plant."

Gohan was about to speak, but his father's voice broke in. "Son, why don't you go take your mom and brother over to the sign up sheet?" He nodded towards Bardock, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "We'll catch up to you."

"Uh," Gohan blinked a couple of times until Goku's words finally unscrambled his thoughts. He perked up immediately, stepping in his place so he was now the one Chi-Chi and Goten were holding on to. "Yeah, sure thing, Dad!"

The two generations of fathers stopped walking, watching their family head down the sea of people to where everyone else was most likely waiting for them. Goku turned around to face Bardock, taking a deep breath. What was a son to say to his dad that had been absent his entire life? Goku blinked, suddenly breaking out into a nervous laughter.

Come to think of it, I'm that father, too!

"I guess I shouldn't have sent Goten away," Goku rubbed the back of his head, smiling at Bardock who watched him with steady eyes. "He probably could have given me some advice! The kid warmed up to me so fast!"

A smirk slowly grew on Bardock's face, remembering the apple incident he had with his grandson the first time they met, when was still a possible threat. "That kid is something else," the oldest Saiyan sighed, wanting to kick himself for making useless small talk. "But... I need to talk to you about a few things, Kakarot."

"Like what?" Goku tilted his head, immediately resembling the puppy dog innocence of Goten that threw Bardock a little offguard.

Shit!

He didn't expect his son to ask! He thought Kakarot was going to carry on the conversation from there! Bardock ran a hand through his messy hair, trying to think of something to say. This meeting had gone a lot better in his head. "Has anyone told why I'm here?"

Goku scratched his chin, thinking about to when he first heard King Kai mention his father was on Earth. "Hmm... Nope!" The hero beamed, raising a finger in the air. "But the word around the grape vine is that you survived a giant blast from Frieza! That's pretty cool, you know! That guy was tough, but you survived his attack!" He smiled slyly when he saw his father's features lighten up immensely.

There ya go! Massage that ego! Hehe, this guy is just like Vegeta!

The hero knew he found a way to make his father warm up to him quickly as Bardock stood up a little straighter and smirked. "Well, I mean, it wasn't that difficult..."

"Uh huuuuuuh," Goku winked, punching him on the shoulder. "Where were you when it hit Planet Vegeta?"

Bardock blinked a couple of times, feeling his chest become heavy with something strange. Had nobody ever told Kakarot about what he did? The father slapped himself in the forehead. Of course not. Nobody but Frieza and his henchmen behind him knew, and they wouldn't blab their mouths about a lone warrior that stood up to them only if it was for a good chuckle at his easy defeat.

Getting out of his thoughts, he realized his son was still leaning on him with a wink and waiting for the answer. "Right in front of the bastards." The sentence was spoken so bluntly, it caused Goku to lean away from him to take in Bardock's sudden serious expression.

"Oh wow," Goku gasped. "You're serious."

Bardock shrugged, no longer wanting the attention for obtaining nothing against the tyrant that destroyed his home and life. "It didn't mean anything," he muttered under his breath. "They all died, anyway. I couldn't save them."

The son blinked some more, trying to put the small details together that was just given to him. Save. Save, save, save. There was something about that word that caused Goku to grin wildly, suddenly feeling a great amount of respect for his obviously pained father. "Don't tell me!" Goku laughed wholeheartedly, extending a hand forward to place it on Bardock's back, causing the Saiyan look back up at him. "You stood face to face against Frieza in order to save your home!?"

Bardock nodded slowly, unsure if he should answer or not. The boy was getting too excited, and it was scaring him.

"That's incredible!" Goku howled, removing his hand from his grandfather so he could stand back to take in the full image of him. "By the sound of it, it looks like you're a grade A hero! I knew I got it from somewhere!"

Wow, my father, a hero!

Bardock backed away from the overly happy male, who seemed to like this new information a little too much. It made him uncomfortable, hearing another person call him a hero. He was a murderer deep down, condemned to hell once his time came, and was undeserving to have such a pure-hearted son. A pure-hearted son whom carried it on to two grandchildren that believed he was some sort of good person.

He just wasn't. How many times did he have to remind himself after saving Ipana's village that he didn't have a heart, that he was nothing more than a low class warrior who was waiting to be sent somewhere else so he could continue living the life he was destined to. The curse had treated him unfairly by leaving him on such a weak planet where emotions ruled everything, that an odd trio took him in like he was nothing to fear and made him feel like he was something more...

"Come on, hero!" The Saiyan was so lost in thought he hadn't noticed his son was feet ahead from him, motioning for him to follow. "We'll talk more later! Our family's waiting!"

xxxxxxx

Trunks muttered under his breath, silently cursing so his mother couldn't hear him. He was stomping towards the gate where only the adult and junior division fighters were allowed to enter. "This is going to suck!" He pouted, crossing his arms over his chest while looking at Goten. "I wanted to fight with the adults!"

"I know," Goten frowned, fiddling with his fingers. "How boring!" The child looked up from his boots once he felt his mother's hand touch his shoulder.

"Well, I for one am happy the kids only fight kids!" Chi-Chi shuddered, remembering how violently the tournaments during her fighting days had become. Bulma nodded in agreement.

"We'll be cheering you kids on!" The blue-haired woman knelt down to kiss her son on the cheek, causing him to blush wildly in embarrassment but knowing better than to start an argument with her.

"Well boys," Chi-Chi clasped her hands, smiling warmly at all of her family members that were competing. "Please be safe and do well!"

Goku scratched the back of his head, chuckling at his nervous wife. "Don't worry about it! I'm sure one of us will win!"

Chi-Chi observed the group of men that surrounded her husband. Gohan and Goten were giving her a thumbs up with assuring smiles, while Bardock had his arms crossed over his chest and looked as grumpy as ever. The woman huffed, placing her hands on her hips. "Bardock, you better not make a scene!"

"Tell that to the Saiyaman!" Bardock snapped, causing the group to grow silent as all eyes were on the feuding in-laws. "He's just going to spend his rounds dancing around the ring!"

"Hey," Goku blinked, looking around. "Who's Saiyaman?"

Ignoring him, Gohan fumed and shot back, pointing an accusing finger at his grandfather. "Says the man who does yoga every day!"

"Yoga?" Goku laughed, earning a glare from his father. "If you two love dancing so much, I should try and teach you the fusion technique before I have to go back to Other World!"

Fuuuuusion...Haaaa!

Bardock's eyes widened, the image of the mini Vegeta with purple hair on the sides appearing in the back of his mind. He turned to his son, gripping him by the shoulders and looking desperately into his eyes for answers. "Have you taught Goten and Trunks, yet!?"

"Goten and Trunks? They're just boys!" Goku shook his head, smiling at his father's sudden mood change. The hero gasped suddenly. "Wait, are you trying to tell me they're strong or something!?"

"I hate to ruin the love fest," Piccolo rolled his eyes while gesturing to the father and son who were only an inch apart. "But we need to get going. They're already doing preliminaries."

Bardock released Goku immediately, but his son still had a smile remaining on his face. "Don't worry! Once we see the boys fight today, I'll get to see what they're made of and teach them the fusion if that's what you want!"

His father just looked away, silently cursing himself for letting some information leak. There was a time and place to let his son know what dangers he might be facing, and right now, surrounded by all these gawking faces, wasn't it. Ignoring him, Bardock brushed past Kakarot and made his way to the front of the group, not wanting to have Chi-Chi or the others say goodbye to him.

The sounds of "good luck" and "you got this" filled his ears in the background as he felt the presence of Vegeta come up from behind him. Bardock looked over his shoulder, stopping so the prince could catch up to him. "I'm surprised you're not back there with the blue-haired harpy."

Vegeta chuckled darkly as if he liked the nickname given to his wife, and cracked his neck a few times. "So Low Class, have you ascended yet?"

"No," Bardock growled slightly as the two began walking side by side. "Got too caught up in helping the stupid kid fly."

The widow-peaked Saiyan raised an eyebrow, looking up at Bardock in slight surprise. "You've been training Kakarot's youngest spawn?"

The taller male shrugged indifferently. "The dork was too busy with his girlfriend most of the time, so I figured why the fuck not."Vegeta smirked, and when he paused it made Bardock stop walking as well. He blinked at the hand the prince extended towards him. His lips twisted up in disgust. "I'm not holding your hand, Vegeta!"

The prince fumed, slight veins popping up on his forehead. "I'M NOT TRYING TO HOLD YOUR HAND, DOG!" He lowered his voice when he saw the young boys beginning to approach them. "I trained Trunks, and as we both know the boys are going to wipe the floor with these other weaklings before competing against each other. I'm betting my son makes a mockery of your entire bloodline!"

Bardock smirked, and finally shook the prince's hand. For the first time in both of their lives, they were actually showing the same amount of respect towards each other. "It's a bet."

xxxxxxx

"Wait!" Goten called to the disappearing backs of his father and grandpa, who turned around to look down at the small child. They were on their way to the adult section, where sixteen fighters were going to get chosen for the tournament through whatever idea they came up with over the years. The junior division was about to start, and the boy ran out of the locker room to talk to them one last time.

"What is it, son?" Goku chuckled, kneeling down so they would be closer in height as Goten tackled him, wrapping his arms around his neck tightly. The hero laughed, lifting his head up to look at Bardock. "Geez, he's a strong little guy, isn't he!?"

Bardock smirked. "What can I say? He was trained by the best these past few weeks."

"But I've been dead in Other World." The father looked down at his son, who was winking and smirking back at him. The older male just chuckled darkly before bringing his attention back to the child.

"What the hell is wrong now, kid?" Goten looked up after nestling his head into his father's safe shoulder, slight tears forming in his eyes.

"I'm nervous! I've never fought a stranger before!"

Goku pulled his son back a few inches so he could look into his face fully. He flashed the brightest smile he could, and ruffled the child's hair until he started giggling. "You're going to do just great, kid! Gohan and your grandpa have done well with you, I can tell! Just remember to be polite before and after you knock them out, okay?"

Bardock rolled his eyes, but now could clearly see where Goten got it from. Still, the father was proud, especially all the visions he had seen. Even though Kakarot was too kind for his own good, the son had the blood of a fighter in his veins - and was a damn good one! Bardock was silently thankful that he was finally going to be able to see him in action.

Goten sniffed a couple of times, wiping away his tears that were already disappearing on his own. "I will, Dad! Gosh, Gohan was right!"

"What do you mean?" Goku grinned, placing Goten back on the ground before getting back to his own feet.

"He said whenever you're around, you just feel safe! Like an angel!" Goten's eyes glimmered, looking joyfully between his father and grandfather before officially settling his orbs on Bardock. "You too, Grandpa!"

That damn feeling again.

The scar-faced Saiyan waved him off, turning his back in hopes the pain in his chest would die down. "We'll be there to watch you soon, kid."

Goku smiled reassuringly at his son that his grandpa's words were true. "Go get 'em, son!"

"I will!" Goten beamed, waving one last time at them with determination taking over his features before disappearing into the locker rooms once more.

xxxxxxxx

"Gosh, Vegeta!" Gohan groaned, slapping himself in the face. "Did you have to destroy the punching machine!?"

Bardock had to hold back his laughter seeing the faces of everyone surrounding them as the machine flew back and broke into a million pieces. Goku was chuckling nervously, trying to apologize to the people around him while Videl's eyes were nearly bulging out of her head as she looked at the area where the punching machine once stood.

"H-How did he..." She blinked, at an understandable loss for words while the ragtag group of thugs suddenly joined together and began walking past the teenagers. She scowled at them all, still in disbelief that they beat her father's score. "Would you look at them!? Walking like they're so tough!"

Goku froze in front of her, and gave her a smile before winking at Gohan. Videl noticed that he was a lot more muscular than the others, yet had the kindest face and looked almost exactly like Gohan's weird grandfather from Cinnamon City. "So this is the girl I've heard so much about! Introduce her, will ya?"

"Oh, yeah!" Gohan blushed, slight sweatdropping as he tried to shake off the embarrassing moment Vegeta just caused him. "This is my... friend, Videl!"

Krillin also began to wink at the teen, laughing at his long time friend. "Don't you mean girlfriend?"

"Stop," Gohan said through clenched teeth, trying to smile and act as normal as possible. "You're embarrassing me!"

"Nice to meet you, Videl!" Goku chimed in, and then turned his attention back to his son. "We're going to go watch the kids fight. Once they get a new machine up, come meet us!"

"Alright, Dad! Will do!"

The group began walking away, and Videl raised an eyebrow when she noticed Bardock was mixed in with the group, walking beside the short guy who broke the punching machine. "Her eyes widened when Gohan's words finally processed through her mind. "That's your dad!?"

"Yeah! He's great, huh!?" Gohan beamed, his eyes still on the disappearing group. "Man, I hope they bring that new punching machine out soon! I can't wait-"

"I thought you said he was with another woman!"

"Nah, just dead."

xxxxxxxxxxx

"So..." Bardock, God help the man, laughed until he thought he was going to double over in pain. The ending credits of the Cell Games footage that was recently discovered rolled across the screen, while the Z Fighters were left with twitching eyes and embarrassed faces. "That's what really happened, huh?" He turned his attention to Vegeta, who was already snarling. "Well, I gotta say, they got the size of your head right!"

"How humiliating!" Vegeta muttered, ignoring the low class. "They didn't even make me a Super Saiyan!"

"I thought it was kinda funny," Goku finally chuckled until Mr. Satan disappeared from the stage as the child fighters lined up around the ring. The announcer began announcing their names, and who they'd fight first. "Oh wow! Look at Goten down there! Sure brings back a lot of memories!"

"Yeah," Krillin smiled. "He looks just like you! And uh, you too, Bardock!"

Goku beamed, not taking his eyes off the small fighter. "Yup! He's handsome!"

Bardock leaned against the wall beside Piccolo and Vegeta, who were looking disinterested in what the announcer was saying about each child. "Why aren't you watching your spawn?"

Vegeta scoffed. "I'll look when he's fighting Kakarot's boy. Until then, it's going to be boring as hell."

The Namek beside him nodded in agreement. "I bet those two kids would even go far in the adult division-"

"Excuse me, sir?" One of the vendors came out of nowhere and walked up to Piccolo, reaching a hand towards. "Can I get you something? You're looking a little green."

"I'M ALWAYS GREEN!" Piccolo snapped, and the vendor screamed. He disappeared as quickly as he came, and Bardock smirked at the slightly frustrated Namek.

"Can I talk to you while the kids fight those humans?"

Piccolo blinked a couple of times, looking over at Goku to make sure the Saiyan was okay to be around. When the hero gave him a thumbs up, Piccolo nodded. "Sure."

xxxxxxxx

Bardock took in the Namek's words slowly, trying to keep his composure while he described to him the day Raditz arrived to Earth. The two were on the outside of the arena building, leaning against the wall and not making eye contact for good reason.

"I'm sorry, but your son was a monster." Piccolo straightened up a bit, keeping his voice strong. He didn't sense the Saiyan's ki rising, taking it as good sign to continue. "Goku sacrificed himself."

"You killed them both." It came out as a statement, not a question, as Bardock had heard this story from Gohan before but didn't want the watered down version. Although Kakarot was where his attention had been over the years, he did not forget about his first born son. He knew something had happen to him when there were no future visions of him, but was always secretly hoping for a miracle.

"You're taking this surprisingly well," Piccolo mused, finally taking a look at the scar-faced alien. "I promise you if I encountered your son later on in life, I would have handled the situation differently."

Bardock suddenly smiled sadly, remembering something his grandson had told him. "Gohan changed you, didn't he?"

"Sickening, isn't it?"

The Saiyan laughed for a slight moment while Piccolo smirked, and the two looked at the morning sun for awhile until Bardock broke the silence. "He wasn't always a monster."

"Raditz?"

Bardock looked away from the sky and back at Gohan's green uncle, trying to cover up the pain beginning to form in his eyes. "Life starts out innocently, you know?" The Saiyan crossed his arms over his chest, throwing his head back against the wall. "If you look at it from a nature verses nurture perspective, you'd realize a child is meant to be carefree and happy... but the environment they're unfairly forced to live in changes everything. There's only one certainty in a life like that; a strong man rises and conquers all. And happiness isn't an option."

Piccolo watched as the male's fists clenched so tight that blood began to seep through his fingers. He knew the Saiyan wasn't only talking about his son, but himself as well. For the first time in a long time, the Namek like he could relate to someone. "I understand," Piccolo nodded, and then smirked. "Now I know how Gohan got so smart."

A small smile crossed Bardock's face, but before he could talk to Piccolo more, his grandson suddenly appeared by their side with a huge grin on us face. "Come on, guys! Trunks and Goten are about to fight!"

xxxxxxxx

The three Saiyans couldn't help but feel pride at the sound of the large crowd chanting the names of both Goten and Trunks as the two boys stood in front of each other. Goku rubbed his hands together excitedly. "Finally! Man, they look good out there! Woo! Have fun out there, guys!"

Vegeta and Bardock remained silent, rolling their eyes at how much the one they called Kakarot was leaning off the railing. All eyes were settled on the boys as the announcer backed away, signaling the beginning of the awaited fight.

The crowd cheered wildly at Goten and Trunks charged at each other with an arm raised. Once they collided, they both blocked the potential punch to their face, holding their own. Trunks pressed forward, causing Goten to break free from their block and rapidly starting punching the boy until he was backing him up.

Not giving in so easily, Goten brought his small leg around to kick Trunks in the chest as one of the lavender haired boy's punches hit him at the same time. The two flew back in opposite directions after the impact, landing on their feet only to fly into the air to continue the same beat down on each other. Continuously blocking and getting a few hits in, the boys were looking evenly matched as the crowd gaped up at how high they were.

"Wow!" Gohan gasped, his hands tightening against the railing of the balcony. "They're really going at it!"

Videl gasped as Trunks planted a fist into Goten's cheek, and he retaliated by returning it. "Uh.."

"Man! Look at them go!" Goku began cheering like a soccer mom, jumping up and down but Bardock was surprised to notice he was egging on both of the boys and not just his own. He narrowed his eyes away from Goten to focus on the son of Vegeta more, and quickly but secretly became impressed with what he was seeing.

Videl began to shake seeing how fast they were moving. They were only children, for crying out loud, and they were already looking stronger than the adults!

When the two both landed another hit on each other, they landed on the arena and charged forth. Trunks disappeared too quickly for Goten to catch, and the boy stumbled forward to try and stop himself from falling out of the ring. Once he caught his balance, he was greeted by a sudden kick to the back that sent him flying towards the edge.

"GOTEN! STOP!" He heard his mother yell, and remembered what his grandfather had taught him as he caught himself before hitting the grass. With a new found fury and determination, he charged at full speed towards the unexpecting Trunks. He thought his friend was going to descend as far back as he did, but he surprised him by regaining his position quickly and the two boys once more rapidly started hitting each other.

After finally hitting each other at the same time again, the boys withdrew from each other and smirked, trying to catch their breaths. "Wow," Trunks looked Goten over, sincerely impressed. "You've gotten good since the last time we fought!"

"Thanks!" Goten smiled sweetly. "My brother and Gohan have been training me!"

"But not good enough!" Trunks grinned menacingly, bringing his hands all the way back. "Try this!"

"Huh!?"

"Oh no!" Gohan yelled, looking down in desperation. "This place is too small to be firing energy blasts! He's going to hurt someone!"

Goku crossed his hands over his chest, laughing at his son's dramatics. "Don't worry! Just look at him! He has complete control!"

A giant yellow beam shot out of Trunks hands at an alarming speed, but Goten was able to hop over it just in time as the blast was sent towards the screaming audience. Trunks rolled his eyes at them, raising his hands up so the blast ricocheted off the wall and disappeared into the sky.

"Told ya!" Goku winked, calming down the frantic Gohan.

Trunks smirked at his friend. "Cool, huh? What did you think about that?"

"Pretty cool," Goten agreed. "But my brother taught me something like that, too!" He placed his cupped hands on his side, focusing his energy. "Kaaaameeehaaameeeha!"

Trunks easily dodged the blast, slapping himself in the forehead while laughing at his friend. The blast hit the roof of the temple, causing Goten to nervously laugh. "You can't control it, huh Goten?"

"Nope!" The small child laughed, rubbing the back of his head.

Goku scratched his head. "I guess Goten needs to work on a few things still."

"Ya think?" Bardock spat, sarcastically as ever as Vegeta chuckled darkly.

Looks like I'm going to win this bet, dog.

After the two boys got back in the rhythm of traditional martial arts, Trunks was beginning to grow tired. He grabbed Goten by the collar of his gi and threw him up, appearing behind him and holding the child by his armpits in a strangle hold.

"Come on, kid!" Bardock yelled, causing Goku to laugh at his father now showing some emotion. "Hang in there!"

"Just give up, Goten!" Trunks spoke to the back of the struggling kid's head.

"No! I won't!" The boy's face was beginning to turn red, becoming frustrated to the point he transformed; his hair now golden, his eyes a haunting green. He broke free from his friend's strong grip, landing on the arena floor while scowling at him.

Goku nearly choked on air. "What!? He's already a Super Saiyan!?" He turned to look at Bardock, who was already aware of this. "Maybe they should learn the fusion technique! Wow!"

"Kakarot!" Vegeta snapped, taking a step towards his rival and wanting to push him off the railing. "That's not fair!"

"Hey!" Goku laughed. "I'm not the one who did it!"

Once free from his grip, Goten smiled sweetly and returned to base form while Trunks fumed. "You dummy, we weren't suppose to go Super Saiyan!"

"How else was I suppose to get free!?"

If that's the way he wants to play...

Trunks set another energy flying towards Goten unexpectedly, and the kind boy had to fly up in the air to avoid it. Huffing, he crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at his friend. "Cheater! You said no more energy blasts!"

"I don't recall," Trunks smirked. "Come back down here when you're ready to lose!"

Goten charged down to his friend with all his might, and Trunks dodged at the last moment hoping the kid would fall through the stage. When he bounced up with ease, Trunks looked at him and shock and immediately turned Super Saiyan to send one last energy blast at the youngest son of Goku. The child screamed, and was sent into the audience, landing on a woman's lap who looked at him in utter disbelief at the fight that had just occurred.

It took the audience a moment to realize that Trunks had one, and they began cheering wildly. Once Goten opened his eyes to see where he was, he screamed out in frustration.

Vegeta chuckled darkly, inwardly proud of his son, while Goku, Gohan, and Bardock sighed. "Wow," Goku blinked, looking at the glowing boy who was left on the arena. "Trunks is a Super Saiyan too!?"

The prince placed a hand on his shoulder, smirking. "Cheer up, Kakarot! There can only be one winner, and it was the best!"

"Dammit kid," Bardock sighed, feeling his chest become heavy. "At least you put up a good fight."

When the announcement of Trunks getting to face Mr. Satan next as a prize came on, the Z Fighters rolled their eyes and began to leave. Videl gaped at them, standing in their way before they could escape. "Where are you guys going!? Don't you want to see him fight the greatest champion of all time!?"

Vegeta had already pushed past the girl, with Bardock, Piccolo, Krillin, and 18 following suit. Goku was the only one left to face the girl. He chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Aw, come on. We already know Trunks is going to win! Besides, I'm hungry! Bye!" With that, he brushed past her, leaving her blinking in shock next to a groaning Gohan.

xxxxxxxxx

"So tell me," Goku stuffed an entire plate of egg rolls into his mouth, looking at his father. "When did you become a super Saiyan!?"

Bardock jammed a turkey leg up his mouth, chewing on the bone and all. "You know that time traveling shit I just told you about?" When Goku nodded, Bardock continued. "Well, I was sent to Planet Plant-"

"That's the original name of Planet Vegeta!" The prince mused, slurping down an entire bowl of spaghetti within minutes. He slammed his fist on the table, demanding to hear more. "Get on with it, dog! We haven't got all day!"

"This bastard who goes by 'Lord Chilled' came out of nowhere and started beating on these plant people!" Bardock started gnawing on a porkchop, Goku looking at him with intense eyes even though he was downing a few hot dogs. "I had enough of his shit so I ascended and sent the weakling flying into space!" The scar-faced Saiyan smirked, swallowing a glass of water and sighing. "Should have seen his face; he was scared shitless. I bet it was the same look Frieza had when you transformed, Kakarot!"

Vegeta dropped his fork as his thoughts suddenly came together. He looked up from his empty plates at Bardock with menacing, blood thirsty orbs. "I recall that Frieza annihilated our race because he feared this so called 'Legendary Super Saiyan' his ancestor feared..."

Bardock shrugged. "What's your point?"

The prince jumped over the table, tackling Bardock to the ground and wrapping his hands tightly around his throat while the older Saiyan tried prying them off. Vegeta started slamming his head repeatedly on the floor. "You're the fucking legendary super Saiyan, aren't you!?"

Goku's eyes widened, looking at his father who was struggling under Vegeta's grip. The lucky guy was already having an amazing day; meeting his son for the first time, learning that there are two young super Saiyans to protect Earth once he had to leave, and now realizing his father was indeed exactly what he believed in his heart for him to be. "Bardock, you're a hero!"

"HELP ME, YOU BASTARD!"


	10. The Opponents

While Vegeta was distracted by Gohan retelling Trunks' beatdown on Hercule, a trio removed themselves from the table of the tournament's restaurant and stood outside of the building. If it weren't for Goku stepping in before his son and his girlfriend entered, Gohan would have seen his grandfather getting the beating of his life...

Once again.

"Here," Krillin handed a senzu bean over to the damaged Bardock, who still had the marks of Vegeta's fingers around his neck. "It's the last one I have, but Goku really wanted me to give it to you."

Bardock glared over at his son, who raised his hands in front of him and laughed nervously. "Hey, at least I got him off ya!"

"I don't need your help, shorty!" Bardock crossed his arms over his chest, looking away from the now forlorn human although the dried blood around his mouth said otherwise. "It didn't even damage me that much."

"Yeah, right," Krillin mumbled, urging the senzu bean forward in hopes his best friend's dad would take it. "I've never seen Vegeta that pissed off before, and he's actually tried to kill me on two separate occasions!"

Bardock raised an eyebrow, his attention back on the little human. He had seen visions of a child much like him, running alongside the young Kakarot carrying large boxes of milk jugs. The only difference was the man standing next to him had hair, as the boy was bald. The Saiyan blinked a couple of times, trying to imagine Krillin with no hair until he realized he hadn't responded yet. "A tiny human like you survived Vegeta's rage?"

Krillin scratched the back of his head, slightly sweatdropping but overall looking proud of himself. "Well, I had a bit of help from Goku and Gohan... But anyway, Vegeta use to be one scary dude! I mean, his face still gives me nightmares, but I was scared to the point I almost killed him so he would never terrorize us again."

Bardock's eyes nearly buldged out of his head as he looked Krillin up and down. "What the hell are you!?"

Goku laughed while putting his arm around the neck of his childhood friend. "Krillin is a lot stronger than he looks! For crying out-loud, he married 18!"

The short man blushed wildly, trying to shove his friend off him. "Hey! She's different now!"

Bardock continued to blink and make sense of this guy, while the two friends started lightly sparring each other and his son trying hard to figure out how his wife had a baby. Watching Krillin fume and look so helpless made the Saiyan wonder how such a being once had the decision to play God when it came to the prince's life. If the man had decided to kill him, just how much differently would be the current time he was stuck in be?

"So, what do you say? Are you going to take it or no?"

The Saiyan looked down to see a now messy-haired Krillin trying yet again to offer him a senzu bean and scoffed. "I said I don't need it!" As he turned his back to walk away from the two, he fell flat on his face due to the throbbing of his head.

Goku and Krillin sweatdropped, and then ran to the fallen Saiyan's side.

xxxxxxx

"Gosh, really!?" Gohan whispered into Vegeta's ear so Videl couldn't hear what they were talking, although her eyes were in full-on suspicion mode. "Bardock is the legendary super Saiyan!?"

The widow-peaked Saiyan prince rolled his eyes at the closeness of the spawn, but whispered back since he didn't want the third degree from any earth women today. He already escaped from his wife. "That bastard is the whole reason we lost our race, Gohan! He's a traitor!"

Gohan blinked, trying to stifle his laughter but a smile still formed on his face. "How is he a traitor? It sounds kinda cool to me, having a grandpa that was the first ever super Saiyan!"

Vegeta snarled, reached his hands towards Gohan and gripping him by the collar of his black jumpsuit hidden under a green tunic while looking into his sun-glass covered eyes. "Kakarot's bloodline does not contain any trace of the first super Saiyan, let's make that clear right now!"

The Great Saiyaman blinked, confused as ever at the angry prince holding onto him. "...But didn't you just say he was the legendary-"

"I most certainly did not!"

"Okay..." Gohan blinked some more, and Vegeta released him while slightly fuming. "Well, whatever Bardock is, aren't you sorta thankful for what he did? If Frieza never feared you guys and the Saiyans continued living on, you wouldn't be having the life you do now. I don't think any of us would. I mean, aren't you thankful for Bulma and Trunks?"

Vegeta's glare was perfected to the point that he could hide his emotions well in his orbs, able to remain looking indifferent as he thought about Planet Vegeta still thriving. Images of people bowing at his feet, at populations of beings absolutely terrified of him and begging for mercy while he just laughed, watching them die one by one. His finger started twitching slightly, invisioning the moment his race all found themselves reaching the super Saiyan transformation and murdering Frieza and his henchmen in cold blood. Even the low-class would be able to do it...

"Speaking of the dog," Vegeta eyed the trio as they reentered the building, smirking when he saw Bardock was back at full health. "I either didn't beat you hard enough, or your clown of a son gave you a senzu bean!"

Taking her attention of the two she was previously focused on, Videl turned around and gasped in horror at the sight of Gohan's grandfather. From his mouth downwards, there was blood all over his skin that seemed to have dried. "What the heck happened to you!? The adult division hasn't even started yet!"

"Funny," Bardock looked down at his hands, ignoring the girl and looking down at Krillin. "That bean completely healed me but I still look like I've been through hell."

"Yeah," Krilling chuckled. "It cures cuts and continuous bleeding, but I guess when your blood has dried it remains until you clean it yourself!"

Before Bardock could reply, Videl popped up in front of him much to Gohan's dismay as the teenager groaned. The Saiyan's eyes twitched, looking into her blue orbs that seemed to pity him slightly. "What do you want, girl!?"

"I have some medical cloths in my bag," she began heading towards the door, looking over her shoulder and motioning for Bardock and Gohan to follow her. "I can clean you up! After all, it's the least I can do for putting up with me these past few weeks." The girl winked, causing Bardock to eye her suspiciously until his nudged him towards her.

"Aw, come on!" Goku laughed. "She just wants to help you out!"

"What the hell is up with you guys and helping people!?"

"Hurry up, guys!" Videl called, already having a foot out the door while Gohan scrambled to his feet to get to Bardock's side. The teen rested a hand on his grandfather's shoulder, taking a deep breath to calm himself down.

"If she asks you any questions, just play along, alright?"

"You mean be a smart ass?"

"Exactly."

xxxxxxxx

"We can't go in there!" Gohan's eyes widened in fear, looking at the sign of the room Videl was trying to take him and his grandfather. "This is the woman's locker room!"

Videl rolled her eyes, pulling the door open. "Your friend's wife and me are the only females competing! She's back at the restaurant; there's nobody in here!"

"Yeah, but-" Gohan gulped. "I've been taught to never go inside anywhere that belongs to a girl!"

Kakarot must have taught him everything he knows.

Bardock chuckled to himself, causing the teenagers to look up at him in confusion. Smirking, the Saiyan followed Videl inside the woman's locker room and left Gohan outside with a reddening face. "I'm sorry, Mom." He gulped, entering the room and shutting the door slowly behind him. Once he was fully inside, he closed his eyes tightly and even behind the dark sunglasses, the girl could tell.

"Gohan!" Videl rolled her eyes, but a smile was on her face. She found it somehow cute that he was so awkward around girls and yet respectful. "You can open your eyes! There's nobody in here!"

Slowly following the order, Gohan looked around the empty room of lockers and showers and sighed in relief. He watched as the girl opened her locker and pulled out a green backpack, ordering Bardock to sit on one of the benches. While rummaging through the bag, one of Videl's bras fell out and landed on Gohan's foot.

"V-Videl!" Gohan's face was deep red, panic sweat forming all over his face as he pointed a shaky finger at the object near his boot. "Your bra!"

Bardock sighed deeply, rubbing his temple. "God, strike me down where I sit right now." The Saiyan lowered his hands away from his head and sent a disgusted look in the direction of the Great Saiyaman. "Holy hell kid, it's a fucking bra! Pick it up!"

"I can't," Gohan blushed harder, backing away from the undergarment as if it were deadly. "It's been somewhere!"

Videl huffed, slamming down her first-aid kit before crossing her arms over her chest. "What is that suppose to mean!? Are you calling me dirty or something!?"

"No!" Gohan waved his hands frantically, not sure what kind of situation he got himself into. "It's just that, uh... Oh, I don't know! Help, Gramps!"

Bardock sighed heavily once more while standing up, and walked over to the bra to pick it up. Just to be an ass, he shook it in his grandson's direction causing the teen to scurry away even farther. He threw it to Videl, who angrily stuffed it into her backpack. Sitting back down, he shook his head at the recovering Gohan. "I don't see how you two kids could be mates if you're this terrified over a piece of material."

"We are not mates!" Videl yelled, suddenly appearing in front of Bardock who winced in pain as she started damping a wet cloth against his bloody skin. She started to scrub harder, deciding to release her anger out on the poor Saiyan grandfather.

Gohan sat on the bench opposite from Bardock, a sad but itching thought come to his mind. "Whatever happened to my grandma?"

"What?" Bardock groaned, trying to swat Videl out of the way so he could look at Gohan but to no avail.

The teen fiddled with his fingers, hoping he was asking the right thing. "Well, I don't know what she meant to you or what you called her, but you obviously had to have had some sort of woman once in your life in order for my dad to be here..." He was trying to recall how his other grandfather, Ox, told him about the birds and the bees. "I guess what I'm trying to say, is who is she?"

"Was."

Videl took a step back when she heard the tone in Bardock's voice suddenly change. She was near Gohan now, and the two teens were looking at the pensive man sadly. "What was that, Gramps?"

"You said who is she," Bardock looked at a tile on the floor, not wanting the kids to see his eyes. "The correct phrasing is 'was'. She... died a long time ago when Frieza's Supernova hit."

"Huh?" Videl tilted her head. "Frieza?"

Gohan was too absorbed in his grandfather's sudden sadness that he didn't bother trying to come up with a cover story. "But... how do you know that? What if she survived like you did and she's out there somewhere?"

Bardock shrugged, trying to count the number of dots on the tile to ignore the feeling swelling up inside him. "When someone means so much to you, you can sense that they're near you... or alive."

Videl found herself caught in his words, now sitting on the bench next to Gohan. She felt her own heart ache for the man across from them. "And you can't sense her?"

Bardock looked up briefly at the teens, noticing how close they were. He reluctantly smiled sadly as memories he had forced away for such a long time finally found their way. "Her name was Gine," he threw his head back, the sound of it hitting the locker behind him echoing throughout the room. "She was so... god damn kind. She was so weak and yet never feared anything." The male looked up at the fluorescent lights, laughing to himself. "I saved her ass so many times..."

The teenagers smiled sadly, trying to picture the masculine man rescuing a dainty woman that possibly resembled Goku. Videl had absentmindedly placed her hand on Gohan's knee while Bardock continued describing the woman named Gine, while the boy placed his hand on top of hers as the trio laughed at some of the outrageous things Bardock had to go through to get her out of trouble.

The girl didn't question him about space pods, or space monsters, or whatever the hell a Saiyan was. The moment shared between Gohan and his grandfather was unlike the times she had spent training with them. There was no hostility in the air, there was no hiding behind a mask anymore especially on Bardock's part. Looking over at the laughing male holding her hand, she always had a suspicion that he was from another world.

When someone means so much to you, you can sense that they're near you... or alive.

The words of Bardock's echoed through her mind as she felt Gohan's hand tighten.

xxxxxxxxxxx

A newly cleaned face Bardock headed towards the arena with his son and Piccolo next to him. Goku yawned loudly, stretching his arms out and slapping his father on the back with a grin. "Gohan's girlfriend sure made you look a lot better!"

"I've always looked this good, kid." Bardock smirked, but seemed to walk a little taller while Goku snickered to himself.

"Man, I hope whoever fights me doesn't punch me in the gut! My stomach is so full!" As soon as he said it, they heard Vegeta in the background talking to Gohan.

"If I get matched up against Kakarot, the first thing I'm going to do is punch him in the gut!"

Goku shook his head, but a childish grin remained while elbowing Bardock. "Oh man, that guy has no mercy!"

Bardock was about to respond, but froze when he saw beings in front of the group. The visions of a purple skinned Shin-jin immediately ran through his mind, and he started to become uneasy. He cursed to himself, angry that all he got out of the vision was the stranger standing next to them in some sort of ship while Vegeta got that 'M' on his forehead.

There was a taller stranger next to the one in his vision. This Shin-jin was red, with long white hair compared to the shorter one's mohawk. They smirked at the group, and began walking towards them.

"I've got a strange feeling about them," Piccolo didn't take his eyes off the strangers as they slowly approached. "Anyone else?" The group nodded in agreement, keeping steady eyes on the purple one as he stopped directly in front of Bardock's son.

"Do you happen to be this man named 'Goku'?"

The Saiyan raised an eyebrow at the purple stranger, but immediately smirked back. "Yeah, I am. Who are you?"

The purple one chuckled darkly, taking a look at his red partner before settling his eyes back on Goku. "I guess you could say I'm a big fan. May I shake your hand?"

Bardock sent a look towards his son, placing his arm across Goku's chest and shaking his head. "I don't think you should do it, son. I don't trust this guy."

"It's just a handshake!" Goku laughed, gently removing Bardock's arm while extending a hand towards the stranger. Bardock growled as the purple creature's eyes glazed over with secrets.

"You're as brave as people say you are," the person coyly smiled, bringing his hand back to his side. "I look forward to competing against you." Another look exchanged between the two strangers, before they turned their backs and left the group.

After a few moments of silence, Piccolo looked at Goku who was staring after them. "I have a really bad feeling about those guys, Goku. They're strong."

"Yeah," Goku nodded, but there was a look of determination in his eyes. "Really strong."

xxxxxxxxxxx

"Will all competitors please enter the ring!" The blonde announcer called as the crowd cheered seeing the best of the world's fighters step on the arena. "We are about to start the draw!"

Bardock scanned the faces of the fighters, not seeing anyone too intimidating until his eyes stopped on a creepy looking duo. It felt his stomach twist up when he saw they had the 'M' on their foreheads, still not sure what it all meant but knowing it had something to do with the purple Shin-jin.

"Hey," Goku laughed, pointing at a strangely dressed competitor and nudging Bardock. "Look at Mighty Mask! I'm surprised he can walk!"

Bardock's eyes narrowed on this 'Mighty Mask' person who was bumbling around the arena, taking note that his arms and legs were extremely tiny. He focused on the set of eyes that nobody seemed to be paying attention to located right where Mighty Mask's groin should be, and shook his head in disbelief when he detected the innocent look he had come to know so well.

Stalking his way towards the clumsy fighter, Bardock snarled to get his attention as both sets of eyes widened. "Goten! Your grandpa is coming towards us! Do you think he knows!?"

"No way!" Goten gasped. "He can't! We have the perfect disguise!"

Stopping in front of the weird man, Bardock crossed his arms over his chest and smirked at him. "Nice get-up. Where'd you get it?"

"Uh," Trunks disguised his voice, trying to sound as manly and grown as possible. "My mother!"

Bardock chuckled darkly, noticing how the tiny pair of legs began to shake. "Your mother seems to have a knack at making embarrassing costumes, doesn't she?"

"How do you know my mother, sir!?" Trunks quipped, clearing his voice. "She lives in a far away land!"

"Oh, you mean in the bleachers over there?"

Trunks sweatdropped, and gulped. "What are you talking about, Bard-..sir! My mother is in outer space traveling-"

"Knock your shit, Trunks," Bardock shook his head, and knelt down so he could look Goten in the eyes. "Hey, kid."

"Aw man!" The boys whined. "We're busted!"

"I'm not going to tell anyone," Bardock rolled his eyes, getting to his feet while he overlooked the crowd of oblivious fighters. "I just don't get how anyone can tell it's you."

"You're not?" The boys blinked and spoke in unison once more. "Why?"

Bardock's eye slightly twitched when he heard the sound of the kids' voices combine, sounding exactly like the mini Vegeta in his vision. He took a deep breath, trying to ignore it. "I want you guys to kick some ass, that's all. It's one thing to see you fight against each other, but together I bet you're deadly." He smirked as both sets of eyes flashed over with sheer joy, and Mighty Mask jumped up and down in excitement.

"You're the best, Bardock!" Trunks beamed behind the costume.

"Yeah, you're the best, Grandpa!"

You boys are going to need to learn how to fight together, anyway.

Bardock waved them off, and walked over to the lone corner of the arena while the announcer began calling people up to draw numbers. He leaned against the ropes, extremely bored until the announcer called out, "Shin!"

He watched as the purple creature from before, this so called 'Shin' made his way up and drew a number. "Okay, Shin! You're going against Ma Junior!" Bardock looked over at the Namek who seemed to be caught off guard by the news, but tried keeping his cool. The Saiyan raised an eyebrow, observing the way he seemed to fear Shin.

He must know something...

Bardock's eyes furrowed as the two exchanged looks, his head beginning to pound.

But what?

"Oh, wow!" The announcer yelled, excited like a kid in a candy store. "Ladies and gentlemen, for the first round we have a very exciting fight! A previous champion going against the man who broke the punching machine! Goku and Vegeta!"

The crowd cheered wildly while Bardock blinked in disbelief as the two Saiyans smirked at each other and exchanged a few insults. He was so distracted by his thoughts that he didn't hear when his son or the prince were called up.

"Damn," Krillin started chuckling, standing close to Bardock with 18 who looked disinterested in the whole thing. "I thought they'd be going head to head for the championship final! Not the first round!"

"Bardock!" The announcer called. "Bardock!?"

Rolling his eyes as the crowed erupted in cheers for the armored man, expecting great things from him due to his outfit. He reached into the jar and pulled out a number, shoving it in the announcer's face as the two men behind him wrote it down on the chart. Taking a close look at it, the announcer's face grew into a large grin. "Alright! Bardock, you're going head to head with the Great Saiyaman!"


	11. Bardock vs. The Great Saiyaman

"Wow!" Chi-Chi blinked in disbelief, looking down at the arena full of fighters. "Goku and Vegeta? Bardock and Gohan? All in the first round!?"

Bulma nodded, her eyes focusing on her husband who looked rather confident. She smirked, turning her attention to Chi-Chi. "Well, I know for a fact that Vegeta is going to win!"

Chi-Chi scowled, crossing her arms over her chest. "Are you kidding me!? Have you even seen my husband fight!? Goku can beat Vegeta on any given day!"

The women stood up, exchanging deadly glares until Yamcha and Ox had to pull them apart from each other. After they finally calmed down a bit, Chi-Chi took a deep breath and let it out slowly, leaning into her chair and fidgeting with her fingers. "Well, since Vegeta has nothing on Goku," she winked at Bulma, whose eyebrows furrowed in return. "I'm a bit more worried about the fight between Bardock and Gohan."

"Why's that?" Yamcha scratched the back of his head, taking a look down at the two fighters who were having a discussion over something. "Krillin was telling me that Gohan is stronger. You're not worried Bardock's going to get hurt, are you?" The once desert bandit winked, earning a slap for Chi-Chi that nearly knocked him out of his seat.

"Of course not!" Chi-Chi fumed, but her eyes remained on her father-in-law and son as she spoke. "I just don't know what goes on inside that man's head sometimes. I'm just nervous he's going to make a big scene and embarrass Gohan or take things too far, that's all."

"Sure," Oolong muttered under his breath, causing Yamcha to laugh until Chi-Chi threatened to hit both of them again, ultimately silencing them.

"Hm," Roshi pulled on his beard, thinking about the two men they were discussing. "From what I've seen and heard from everyone, Bardock seems to have complete control over what he does. An excellent tactician and seems to have a strong heart for the fight."

"I have to agree," Bulma shrugged, placing a hand on the worried woman's shoulder. "Vegeta is a bit of a hot head sometimes, but I can tell just by looking at Bardock that he thinks a lot before acting."

Chi-Chi smiled softly, patting Bulma's hand a few times before the blue-haired woman returned it to her side. "Thank you, guys. That makes me feel a lot better."

"Look!" Little blonde Marron cheered, pointing an excited finger at the arena. "It's my daddy!"

For the sake of the child's happiness, the group in the stands acted like this was going to be the fight of the century. Looking at Krillin's opponent, Pintar, they knew right away that their old friend was easily going to mop the floor with the big brute of a human. Chi-Chi sighed, looking over the chart of the fighters that was now hanging above the arena for everyone to see.

"Oh good!" Chi-Chi beamed, speaking to Yamcha over the sound of Pintar screaming. "Piccolo and that strange guy are up next, and then Videl's fight! I can't wait to see that girl in action!"

The bandit smiled, shaking his head. During the days when Goku had been attacked by his heart virus, Yamcha had grown very close to Chi-Chi and gained an even bigger admiration for Goku after seeing his friend kick death's ass. That Saiyan was the only one who ever encouraged the man, the only reason he even tried to face the androids in the first place. As for his friend's wife, she was a lot stronger than she appeared to be both physically and emotionally. Yamcha had a giant amount of respect for her, and from the conversation they shared earlier, her son was going to end up marrying a woman just as strong as her.

"Yeah," Yamcha finally nodded, seeing Pintar broken on the arena ground as a bored Krillin walked away. "It's going to be a good one."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"What..." Videl blinked, standing next to Gohan as the two teenagers watched Bardock placing a pink mat on the floor. All of the fighters were in the waiting room, practicing their katas or simply conversing with each other. "...Is he doing, Gohan?"

The boy watched as his opponent brought himself into a downward dog position, his rear-end raised higher than Gohan thought it should be. He chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Oh wow, I think he's doing yoga... But he's doing it all wrong!"

"Uhm..Gohan?" Videl raised an eyebrow as the teen left her side to stand next to his grandfather. Bardock sighed heavily, not taking his concentration off Chi-Chi's special training techniques.

"What do you want, kid? Trying to steal my techniques before our fight?"

"No, no!" Gohan raised his hands in front of him in defense, smiling kindly at his angry grandpa. "It's just... you're doing that wrong."

Bardock raised an eyebrow, eyeing Gohan through his peripherals. "What do you mean?"

"I think it's like this!" Videl blinked a couple of times in disbelief as Gohan got on the floor beside Bardock, making his body become an inverted V shape. "You see where my butt is? Not too high in the air? That's where you need to be!"

In one of the corners of the room, Goku and Vegeta were observing the two yoginis. "Do you see that, Kakarot!?" The shorter of the two Saiyans gestured towards the pair, his lips curling up in disgust. "They're practically imitating the Ginyu Force!"

Goku laughed loudly, rubbing the back of his messy hair while doing so. "Oh, I don't know... I don't think they look that bad. At least they're not striking-" The two Saiyan father's eyes widened as Bardock and Gohan stood up. The teen started striking numerous poses, announcing loudly that he was the 'Great Saiyaman' , and started tapping his feet wildly before striking his final pose. "...Is that the Saiyaman dance Krillin was telling me about?"

"Look, clown!" Vegeta pointed a finger at his rival's father who shook his head, not wanting to copy the Saiyaman's dance moves. Instead, Bardock rotated his right foot ninety degrees and stretched, his right hand on the floor while looking at the palm of his raised left hand. "How do you feel? That's your bloodline!"

Goku blinked a couple of times, watching the two until he broke out into a small fit of laughter. "I just thought of something!"

"Hm?" Vegeta raised an eyebrow, leaning against the wall of the waiting room.

"Imagine if those two fused!" Goku howled once more, picturing what his father and son would look like combined together. "They could put those moves to use and be some sort of dancing warrior!"

Vegeta's eye twitched at both the image in his mind and his rival's laughter. "What is this fusion technique you've been going on about?"

"Oh!" Goku grinned, holding a finger up proudly and regaining his composure. "The Metamorans taught me this dance called 'fusion' while I was in Other World! Two bodies merge into a single person for thirty minutes!"

"Oh?" Vegeta raised an eyebrow sarcastically, making fun of Goku's excitement. "Sounds like something a weakling would do, combining powers with another... On second thought, maybe it's perfect for Bardock and your spawn!"

The taller Saiyan shrugged, smiling at his posing father and son. "It's far from that! When two extraordinary powerful beings merge together, that person they create is unbelievably strong!"

"Tch," the widow-peaked Saiyan rolled his eyes, looking away from the happy one. "Sounds like a lot of bullshit to me."

Goku chuckled. "Well, I was actually thinking of teaching it to Goten and Trunks before my time is up. Those two would be a force to reckon with, I'm telling you!"

"Sickening!" Vegeta scoffed, taking a step away from Goku. "My son doesn't need the help of your cretin. He's more than capable of handling anything that comes his way, on his own."

"If you say so," Goku shrugged, laughing to himself once more before focusing on his father who was now done with his yoga practices. "But Bardock brought it up, and I have no idea how he even knows about the fusion dance because I asked the Metamorans if they've ever met him before so I could get a good idea of what kind of person he was. And they said they never heard of him!"

Vegeta's eyes narrowed, looking away from his rival and focusing on the low class warrior. Bardock was walking up to them, rubbing the back of his neck as if he pulled something while stretching. "What do you want, dog!?" He still hadn't quite gotten over the news of him being the Saiyan of legends, but knew there was a time and a place to handle it.

Ignoring the prince, Bardock looked at his son. "What's wrong with Piccolo?"

"Hm?" Goku's ear twitched at the mention of the Namek, and his eyes scanned the room until he saw the green man looking uneasy in the corner diagonal from where they stood. "I think he's nervous about facing that Shin guy. I'll go talk to him."

"No," Bardock shook his head, holding out a hand to stop his son from leaving. "I'll do it." While Goku nodded acceptably, his father made his way over to the nervous Namek who shot his eyes up at him.

Before Bardock could speak, Piccolo stood up straighter. "I have a weird feeling about Shin." He gestured a green hand in the beings direction, who was conversing with his giant red friend. "I just don't know what it is."

The Saiyan took a deep sigh. He had to get it out sooner or later. "Can I tell you something that nobody knows? And you need to keep it quiet until I figure it all out, or else I'll blast you to bits."

Unphased, Piccolo nodded and his eyes widened as Bardock described the Kanassan warrior that gave him his current curse he couldn't escape from. The Namek found it hard to believe until Bardock started telling him some of visions he had about this Shin character, causing Piccolo to believe his suspicions he had were most likely true.

"So," Piccolo whispered, making sure Shin was too busy with his red friend. "Shin must be the Grand Kai."

"The who?"

"This man of immense power!" Piccolo scowled, now looking in the direction of the two. "But why the hell is he here!?"

Bardock shrugged, now also looking at this 'Grand Kai' person. "The hell would I know? He's strange, though. I don't trust him a bit."

"Will Ma Junior and Shin please enter the arena!" The announcer's voice echoed throughout the waiting room, and Bardock stepped aside so Piccolo could pass him. Watching the Namek begin to head up the stairs, the Saiyan called out to him.

"Good luck, green man!"

Piccolo smirked for a moment, before his uneasy features resurfaced. Within seconds, he disappeared with Shin following suit. Before Shin began walking up the stairs though, he glanced over at the scowling Bardock and gave him a weird smile.

xxxxxxxxxx

"You forfeited!?" Goku blinked in surprise as Piccolo reentered the waiting room. "Why do you still look so nervous!?"

"Videl and Spopovich! You're up!" The announcer called, momentarily stopping Piccolo from speaking as Gohan gave Videl a pep talk before she began to heading to the arena.

"You got this, Videl! Just remember how strong you really are, and you're going to be great!" Gohan gave her a thumbs up, and the girl immediately blushed at the compliment.

"Thanks Gohan!" she smiled warmly, their eyes locking for a second before Bardock made a gagging noise. Glaring at him, Videl crossed her arms over her chest. "Do you have something to say, Bardock!?"

The male just smirked. "You'll do fine, kid."

Videl beamed proudly at the two men for a moment, before scurrying towards the arena. The group in the waiting room could hear the wild cheers from her fans as she entered the ring. The Z Fighters grew silent as the large, creepy looking Spopovich pushed his way past them and followed Videl, causing shivers to go down the spine of Bardock as he looked at the 'M' on his forehead.

On his way down to the area where the Z Fighters were waiting, Shin glared at the giant for a moment and Bardock took note of it. The purple being's eyes were full of suspicion, but he let Spopovich pass by before stopping in front of Piccolo with a smile on his face. "Can we have a moment to speak?"

The Namek blinked, a bit surprised until he gestured to Bardock. "Only if he comes with me."

Shin looked the Saiyan, that strange smile remaining on his face despite the glare Bardock was giving him. "Of course."

The trio walked over to where Shin's red friend was standing. After a moment of silence, Piccolo cleared his throat. "I sensed an enormous power coming from you, and knew I couldn't fight you out of respect. Tell me, are you the Grand Kai?"

Shin chuckled, exchanging a look with his friend before looking back at Piccolo. "I most certainly am not, Piccolo."

Bardock raised an eyebrow, irritated by how slow everyone was talking and desperate to see Videl and that 'M' imprinted creature fight. "Then who the hell are you!?"

"Bardock!" Piccolo hissed, and then looked apologetically at Shin. "I'm so sorry, he doesn't mean any disrespect."

"Like hell I do!"

The red stranger finally spoke, becoming appalled by the behavior of the black-haired male. "He is the Supreme Kai, and you will treat him with your utmost respect."

Bardock shrugged, not really knowing what that meant. Was this Supreme Kai character some sort of God to the Namek, and that's why he couldn't fight him? He looked at Piccolo, whose features were completely stunned by this news as he slightly bowed to the purple creature who just laughed warmly in return.

"Please, Piccolo, there's no need for that!" Supreme Kai looked around, making sure the others were too busy watching the fight going on in the arena. By the sound of it, something awful was going on and the being took on a serious expression. "This is my ally, Kibito. And all I am asking is that you two keep this to yourselves because I don't want the others to know yet."

Yet? What the hell does that mean?

Having already agreed to Supreme Kai's wish, all eyes were on the confused Saiyan. Bardock rolled his eyes, not sure why this was so important but knowing this Supreme Kai had been in his visions one to many times, and decided to agree as well. At least Piccolo knew. "Alright. Now if you excuse me, I need to watch my granddaughter fight."

"Granddaughter?" Piccolo questioned, stifling in his laughter as Bardock froze and cursed under his breath.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"Holy shit..." Bardock's eyes widened as he watched what was unfolding. Videl had kicked that brute's head so hard that his whole damn neck had spun around. Thinking that she had killed him, the girl was immediately disqualified until something repulsive happened. Spopovich got up, twisted his head around, and started to fight against the girl again. "Isn't he a human!?"

Goku started to feel uneasy, looking to his right at his father. "Yeah, he is. Something isn't right about this guy." To his left, Vegeta nodded in agreement but kept intense eyes on the fighting duo. Gohan was standing in front of them with his fists clenched so tight that Bardock thought he was going to start bleeding.

The Z Fighters' eyes widened in shock as Spopovich elbowed Videl hard in the stomach, causing her to spit up blood and fly upwards. A purple orb of light began forming in his hands, and he fired the blast at the bloody girl who surprisingly dodged it, landing back on the arena on all fours. She continued to spit up blood, and a gasp came from behind the group as they looked over their shoulders to see Killa, another human fighter, looking in disbelief.

"What the hell is going on!?" Killa gaped, scratching the back of his head. "At the last World Martial Arts Tournament, Spopovich couldn't fly or fire blasts from his hands like that!"

Gohan's scowl deepened while Goku's suspicion rose even more after hearing that. The fighters watched in horror as the brute began punching and kicking Videl repeatedly where she was, coughing up so much blood that the fans swore the whole arena was going to turn red. Bardock raised an eyebrow when the girl still managed to stand up, impressed by the fact she wasn't giving up despite getting her ass handed to her.

Gohan, on the other hand, was mortified. "She's just too stubborn! She needs to stop!" It was painfully clear to the teenager that although Videl was a very strong girl, there was something inhuman about this Spopovich guy.

Despite being pounded fist after fist to the face, Videl stood up with shaky legs and got into another fighting stance. The crowd cried out for her, begging her to stop yet admiring her will. Mustering all her strength together, Videl charged towards Spopovich and punched him hard in the chest. To her dismay, the being just smirked and took a menacing step forward.

Spopovich returned her kick, sending her flying to the edge of the ring. She was about to fall off, but the evil man grabbed her by her leg. "Not so fast, little girl!" He swung her back into the ring, beating on her worst than ever before. With her body now bloody, bruised, and broken on the arena floor, Spopovich lifted a leg and placed it on her head to start crushing her.

Feeling the ki of Gohan rising immensely, Goku placed a hand on his shoulder. The boy was shaking, his fists now bleeding as Bardock predicted they would. "Son, you need to calm down! You can't interfere!"

Bardock looked at his son, surprised those words were coming from him. Ignoring it, he looked at his grandson who was near ready to explode with rage he was struggling to keep inside him. After hearing Videl's cries become even louder, Gohan couldn't take it anymore. He transformed, his turban coming off as his golden hair spiked up but his sunglasses remained.

Feeling the immense power coming from the young man, Supreme Kai looked at Kibito and smiled with delight. "Are you pleased?"

"Very."

Bardock's ear twitched, trying to hear more of their conversation but the sight of Gohan darted out to the ring distracted him. Just before the teen could be in sight of the crowd, Spopovich's partner, Yamu, appeared by the side of the ring. "Stop! You can have your fun later! Don't forget the real reason we're here!"

Spopovich glared at Yamu for a moment, and then simply shrugged. He kicked Videl off the ring, and she landed on the grass crying and hurt. Bardock got that terrible feeling in his stomach as he watched Gohan race to her side. The way he cradled her in his arms brought him flashbacks of carrying Gine back to the space pods after she got herself into trouble.

Gohan looked down at the beaten and broken Videl in his arms, and slightly trembled as the last of his rage left his body. All he felt was pain. Pain, and worry for the only girl he had ever gotten close to. "It's going to be okay, it's going to be okay." He spoke into her hair, bringing her closer to his body. "We're going to get your medical attention right away."

"Gohan..." The girl's voice was extremely weak and raspy, but a small smile crossed her face before she passed out in his arms. Making sure her heart was still beating, the teen glared up at the Spopovich who was prepared to leave the arena.

"The next time we meet," Gohan spoke through gritted teeth, keeping a tight grip on Videl. "I'm going to make you pay for what you did to her."

Spopovich and Yamu only laughed cruelly and darkly, and flew away to leave the damaged teenagers by themselves.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Did Dad go get those Senzu beans?" Gohan looked up at his grandfather as he entered one of the rooms of the hospital. Bardock pulled up a chair next to him, and the two sat by Videl's bedside watching her breath gently.

"Yeah," Bardock scratched the back of his head, feeling slightly guilty. "I'm... I'm sorry I took the last one."

Gohan smiled, reaching a hand down to brush some of Videl's hair out of her face. "Hey, don't worry about it. None of us knew this was going to happen."

I did.

Bardock watched as his grandson touched Videl's face gently before bringing his hand back to his side. "You really care about her, don't you?"

The teen blushed, about to answer, when the door busted open to reveal an afro-haired man. Bardock rolled his eyes, recognizing him as that annoying loudmouth who spoke before the junior division. "OH, VIDEL!" He ran to her unoccupied side, ignoring the two Saiyans who were gawking at him. "How did you lose!?"

Deciding to tune out the dramatic man, Bardock elbowed Gohan. "Hey, Saiyaman, we're the next fight. You know that, right?"

"Yes," he nodded, looking into his grandfather's eyes with respect and determination. "I talked to the announcer, he said he would buy us some time until my dad got back from Korin's place. I guess he was real close to my dad during his earlier tournament days."

Barely noticing two other people were in the room, Hercule jumped back a few steps and pointed an angry finger at the two. "HEY! I specifically told the nurse to not let fans inside! Don't you people have any decency!? My baby is hurt!"

Bardock raised an eyebrow. "Fans?"

"Gohan..."

All eyes were on Videl, who opened her eyes slowly to flash a brilliant sapphire wave at the teenager. In a frail voice, the girl murmured, "You should get revenge on Spopovich."

The teen nodded, rising to his feet while Hercule watched him with suspicion. "Of course I will, Videl."

"Oh, Videl!" Hercule cried out, wanting to tear out his hair. "Don't tell me this skinny kid is your boyfriend!?"

"Someone's a bit late," Bardock scoffed, leaning back in his chair and looking up at his grandson. "What the hell is taking Kakarot so long?"

"I don't know-"

"What did I tell you about dating, Videl!?" Hercule stamped his foot at the fact his daughter wasn't taking her eyes off the kid. "You can only date boys that are stronger than me! And nobody is stronger than your Papa!"

"I don't know," Gohan continued while Hercule went on and on about how skinny the boy was. "But I hope he comes soon. I can't wait for our fight!"

Bardock smirked. "Kid, don't go easy on me. I want to see your absolute strength."

Gohan chuckled, scratching the back of his head nervously. "Gramps, you know I can't transform in front of all those people!"

"And why not!? The brats did it!"

"Yeah, but-"

Sensing the familiar ki, Gohan and Bardock looked at the corner of the room where Goku appeared through instant transmission holding a brown sack of senzu beans. Mr. Satan's eyes nearly bulged out of his head, ranting to the nearby nurse amount how tricks shouldn't be used in a hospital room. Goku reached into the bag and tossed Gohan a bean, and he quickly popped it into Videl's mouth.

"You're going to be okay, Videl." He smiled warmly, caressing her cheek one last time. "It'll just take a few minutes and you'll feel as good as new."

"What did you give her!?" Hercule watched his daughter chew on the object they gave her. He looked up to yell at the strange group of guys, but they were already gone.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Gohan, wait."

The teenager and his grandfather were prepared to leave the waiting area and head to the ring, when Kibito came up from behind them with Supreme Kai by his side. Gohan blinked at the tall, red stranger. "Uh.. Yes?"

"The odds didn't quite work out in my favor. I was hoping I'd be the one to challenge you today, but I need you to promise me something."

Bardock scowled, still not trusting this man when Piccolo placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. "Gohan needs to do this. I'm not sure why, but he just has to."

"If you say so, Piccolo..." Gohan looked back at Kibito. "What is it?"

"I need you to transform. To show your full and true power."

Smirking, Bardock placed a hand on Gohan's shoulder and forced him to out of the waiting room. He waved at Kibito, pleased. "Thank you, thank you! He'll be sure to do that!"

"You too, young Bardock! I want to see your power, too!"

"Don't I have a say in this!?" Gohan exasperated, looking around frantically as they were suddenly out on the ring. "I already told you I can't transform in this arena! They'll find out my real identity!"

Bardock rolled his eyes, gesturing to the crowd. "Listen to them, kid. I think they already know."

"GOHAN! GOHAN! GOHAN!" The student section from his high school screamed, causing the boy to flush a deep red and look down at his boots in defeat.

"Aw man... How did they find out?" He touched his head, realizing his turban flew off when he transformed earlier. He chuckled nervously, taking off his glasses and waving to the people. "Hi-Hi, guys!"

"Alright!" The blonde announcer cheered, placing himself in between the two fighters. "These next two contenders are none other than grandson and grandfather! They use to duke it out in the woods, but now they're duking it out for you!"

Bardock's eye twitched, and he glared at Gohan as if he was the one that told him their little back story. The kid just shrugged innocently.

"Let it begin!" The announcer quickly ran out of the way, knowing these two were related to Goku and expecting a great fight. Bardock smirked, keeping both arms lowered with one closer to his face and two fingers extended out on each hand.

"You ready, kid?"

Gohan returned the smirk, standing straight with his arms raised in two fists as if he was prepared to transform. "You want to start at base form? Not Super Saiyan 2?"

"Oh, ha ha! Very funny!" Bardock snarled, his eyes narrowing in on the teenager. "Make the first move, kid!"

"Did you hear that?" Kibito looked at Supreme Kai, shocked. "There's a level beyond a Super Saiyan!" His master kept quiet, trying to pay attention to every small detail of the fight that was about to occur.

The son of Goku sent a fist flying towards the father of Goku. Picking up a little something from Vegeta the first time they fought in the gravity room, Bardock blocked the punch with the back of his forearm so his fist was covering his face, and grabbed Gohan's second punch with an open hand. He tried flipping him over on his back, but found that he himself was the one being flipped. He stared up at his grandson, blinking in disbelief. "How the hell... Did you move that fast?"

Gohan flashed a two-finger salute, smiling down at Bardock extremely cheesy that caused him to become infuriated. In one single movement, he darted up and punched the hero previously known as Saiyaman right in the face. Stumbling back a little, Gohan pointed an accusing finger at his grandfather. "Hey, no fair! I was giving you a Saiyaman smile!"

"Stop the bullshit!" Bardock growled. "I know you could have blocked that easily! Why are you toying with me!?"

"I'm not!" Gohan answered defensively, glancing around at the crowd of faces who were engaged with the fighters. "I just..."

"They already know who you are, Gohan! There's no more hiding!" Bardock took a step back. "I'll transform first!"

"Gramps!"

Bardock stood with his feet apart, clenching his hands into fists and focusing on the sight of Tora dying in his arms. The sight of Gine waving goodbye for the final time. The sight of Chi-Chi and Goten coming face to face with an indescribable evil so much more powerful than Frieza...

Goku nearly came out of the pit area, watching with a matching look of awe that the entire audience had as he watched his father, the legendary Super Saiyan, come to life. The golden hair, the aura, the icy green eyes... It was like looking into a mirror. "Wow..." Goku grinned. "That's my dad..."

"Oh shut up," Vegeta muttered under his breath. "He can only become a first level Super Saiyan."

"Yeah, but he's the legendary Super Saiyan!"

"Legendary Super Saiyan," Vegeta mocked. "Traitor, that's what he is! A low class dog!"

Gohan smiled widely at Bardock, a proud feeling reflecting in his orbs as he looked him over. "Well, alright then, Gramps. So you want me to transform now?"

The father of Goku glanced over at the pit area to Piccolo, who nodded solemnly. "An ascended Super Saiyan."

"Hm," Gohan bit his bottom lip, unsure. He also glanced over at Piccolo, who, at this point, was becoming irritated. "What should I do, Piccolo!?"

"Super Saiyan 2, dammit!"

Alright, here goes nothing.

Bardock's eyes widened as the tile of the already shattered arena began to shake. Gohan let out a loud scream, bolts of energy in the form of electricity as it seemed to the observers' eyes caused the tiles to rise around him. His golden hair was standing up straighter than Bardock's, and the aura he produced was like a flame compared to his smooth one.

The grandfather blinked, taking in the sight of his grandson. "Gohan..." He was near breathless, feeling such an enormous power surround him. "I've... I've never been so proud."

Debris rose around the ascended Super Saiyan, as he smiled at his grandfather. "Now you see what I'm truly capable of!"

"Go-" Bardock's head started to pound, and he had to grab it just to keep control of himself. Falling to his knees, the crowd screamed in shock, not knowing what's going on.

Shit! Not now, not now!

The sound of the audience and his grandson's aura disappeared suddenly, and the physic male opened his eyes slowly to find himself watching the Supreme Kai, Gohan, Vegeta, and Goku in that weird ship he had envisioned before. Except this time, Bardock was with them andn Vegeta wasn't the only one with a 'M' on his forehead.

It was Bardock, too.

The vision suddenly changed to Gohan and Supreme Kai escaping multiple ki blasts sent from the 'M' stamped Bardock. Wanting to protect the purple being, Gohan told him to hide. "I'll fight him! Just go!"

Bardock felt like throwing up when all he saw was the 'M' Bardock, bloody and holding a body he couldn't identify. For the first time in a long time, the Saiyan saw who he was back on Planet Vegeta.

The screams of the crowd filled Bardock's ears, causing him to breath heavily until he opened his eyes. Still in his Super Saiyan 2 form, Gohan looked down at his grandfather with a look of pure concern on his face. He hated when Bardock had these random... nightmares.

Just as Gohan was about to step forward to offer his grandfather some help, Spopovich and Yamu came flying out of nowhere with some sort of vacuum looking device. He was about to fend them off when he felt his body freeze against his own will. The giant of the two held onto Gohan as Yamu stuck the device in him, draining all of his powers until the boy was almost lifeless.

Dropping him harshly on the arena, the two creeps took off, leaving nothing behind but one damaged body and one damaged soul.


	12. Who is Babidi?

"GOHAN!" Numerous cries erupted from the arena in concern for the young fighter and what had just occurred. Some were shocked beyond belief that he was in fact both the Gold Fighter and Saiyaman, while others were nearly in tears thinking he was dead.

Finally coming back to his senses, Bardock's eyes widened to see his grandson laying near lifeless on the arena floor. Jumping to his feet, he ran to Gohan's side and lifted him up in his arms. He looked around frantically, trying to find his son for help. His eyes settled on Supreme Kai, whose arms were still risen until the strange purple light faded away in them.

The blonde announcer watched with wide eyes as the fighters began to leave the ring. "Hey, where are you going!?"

"It was you!" Bardock snarled, walking menacingly towards the Shin-jin in the waiting area while holding Gohan in his arms like an infant. "You bastard! I knew not to trust you!"

Goku sidestepped so he was blocking his father from Supreme Kai. "Stop. We have to chase after Spopovich and Yamu, he said he'll explain everything on the way there."

"I can't believe you!" Bardock snapped at his son, taking another step forward but holding onto Gohan tight. "First you let his girlfriend get beat on, and then you let this... freak freeze him and let those two guys that did this to him run away! What kind of father are you!?"

Funny. I could ask you the same thing.

Goku's eyes narrowed, trying to keep his composure. "Look, if Piccolo says this guy is good, we can't go around assuming things! Come on, we need to go after those guys now!"

"What about Gohan!?" Bardock looked down at the teen in his arms, then back up at Goku with fiery orbs. "You're just going to leave him here to die!?"

The tall red Kibito took a step towards Bardock and Gohan, placing a large hand on the Saiyan's shoulder who shrugged it off in return. Unaffected, Kibito smiled. "There is no need to worry, Bardock. I have the power to heal him and get him back to full energy, it's just going to take a minute or so."

Supreme Kai nodded, turning his attention away from the angry one and focusing it rather on his calm son. He gestured to Vegeta, Piccolo, and Krillin who were watching him intently. "That's a minute too long, Goku. Please, all of you, follow me and I'll tell you why I let Spopovich and Yamu take Gohan's energy!" He looked apologetically at Bardock, who only scowled. "You can stay with Kibito until Gohan is fully healed, if you'd like, and then the three of you can come after us."

Bardock looked away while Supreme Kai and all Z Fighters except Goku followed suit. "I'm really happy you care so much about Gohan," Goku smiled, looking at his son and then back up at his father. "But you shouldn't worry so much, he's a strong kid! Everything's going to be okay. I'll see you in a few minutes." Before Bardock could get a word out, his son took off and easily caught up with the now disappearing group while the crowd were dumbstruck by the entire affair.

"Lay him down, Bardock." Kibito gently ordered, gesturing to the tiled floor. "I'll heal him quickly."

The Saiyan placed Gohan down reluctantly, still feeling a little uneasy. Once he placed his grandson on the floor, a familiar female's voice was coming up from behind him.

"Gohan!"

He turned around to see a fully healthy Videl jumping over the arena's wall and running towards the trio frantically. Once she was near, she grabbed onto Bardock and leaned against him to catch her breath. "Is he.. Is he going to be okay?"

"I hope so, kid."

The two watched with hopeful eyes as Kibito placed his hand on Gohan's chest and closed his eyes. Small beams of light escaped his palms, and after a few moments, he removed it slowly back to his side. Bardock and Videl let out a giant sigh of relief as they watched the teen's eyes flutter open.

"What...What happened?" He blinked, and then sat up to look around. "All I remember is transforming and then seeing Gramps get a headache..."

After explaining what Spopovich and Yamu had done, Gohan's hands clenched up into fists and he jumped to his feet immediately. "Why did they do that, Kibito!? What's their motive?"

"Yeah," Bardock's eyes narrowed on the tall red being. "And why did your little friend allow it to happen?"

Kibito took a deep sigh and looked down at his feet. "My master really should be the one to explain this, but very well. It's the least you guys deserve." He looked up at the three who were watching him with inquisitive eyes. "To put it simply, a long time ago there was an evil wizard named Bibidi. He created a demon called Majin Buu."

"Wizard?" Videl tilted her head.

"Buu..." Bardock blinked, his mind dragging out the image of the pink creature who crushed Chi-Chi. When Gohan took note at how tense he was becoming, Bardock looked at him and shrugged it off the best he could. He cleared his throat, trying to remain calm. "Continue."

"He nearly destroyed the entire universe," Kibito's hands were clenched into fists, rising slightly while his mind took him back to a very dark time in his life. "He killed four out of five Grand Kais who were a thousand times stronger than that tyrant Frieza." He nodded towards Bardock, whose eyes widened in more disbelief.

"So this Buu... must be incredibly powerful..."

"And evil," Kibito added. "So evil and powerful that Bibidi wasn't able to control him anymore. He sealed him inside a ball, and that ball was sent to earth which was intended to be the monster's next target. However, before Bibidi could reach Earth and release Buu, Supreme Kai destroyed him."

"So," Gohan scratched the back of his head. "What happened to the ball?"

"It's still here. We didn't destroy it because we thought that Bibidi could be the only one to release the monster," Kibito cringed. "But now we have been informed that his son Babidi is here on Earth and plans on releasing Majin Buu!"

"That doesn't explain why you allowed those creeps to take my grandson's energy!" Bardock retorted, crossing his arms over his chest while the tall creature sighed once more. He looked at Gohan with an apologetic smile.

"Forgive me, Gohan, but those two men who took your energy were under Babidi's control. They plan on using it to release Majin Buu, and Supreme Kai allowed it to happen because following them is the only way to find where that ball is hiding," his eyes focused on the two Saiyan men with hope and determination. "I'll explain more to you on the way, but we need all of your help to stop Babidi and his henchmen and right now we are wasting too much time here."

"I'm in," Gohan smiled, and looked at Bardock and Videl. "How about it, guys?"

"Uh," Videl sweat-dropped, but tried hiding her worry with nervous laughter. "Sure, of course! Let's go!"

The three looked at Bardock, who was staring down at the green tips of his boots deep in thought. "I'll catch up with you guys. There's...something I need to do first."

"Alright," Gohan nodded respectively and looked at Kibito. "Let's find this Babidi guy!" Bardock listened to the sound of the three taking off into the sky, the audience once more gasping in unison at the sight of Hercule Satan's daughter flying. His orbs traveled to a certain section in the stands, and flew in the direction of where Chi-Chi and Bulma were on their feet yelling into the sky.

"Where the heck are they going!?" Chi-Chi fumed, stamping her feet. "The tournament is still going on!"

"I don't know, Chi-Chi," Bulma bit her bottom lip nervously. "I think something awful is going on." The sound of the audience gasping once again caused the two women to turn around to see Bardock standing before them. Chi-Chi let out a sigh of relief, slapping her father-in-law on the chest.

"Thank goodness you're here! Those bums took off, but at least we still have you to depend on to win that money-"

"Chi-Chi."

"Hm?" The woman blinked, noticing that Bardock was looking at her with a strange look in his eyes that she'd only seen that night he came bursting into her room after one of his nightmares. "What's wrong?"

Yamcha, Roshi, and Bulma watched with intensive eyes as Bardock began to speak. "Look. Everyone I've told this to has never believed me, but I'm taking another chance here." He placed his arms on her shoulders, looking into her confused eyes as strongly as he could. "I was never a good person. I was a murderer. I committed genocide on Planet Kanassa along time ago, and my whole fucking life changed since that day."

Chi-Chi trembled slightly, feeling frightened by Bardock for the first time. She tried backing away from him, but his grip on her was too strong. Her friends were too frozen and stuck on his words to do anything but listen.

"There was one survivor. He came out of nowhere, and gave me a curse so I would be haunted with visions of the future until I die. I saw Planet Vegeta exploding into a million pieces. I saw Kakarot living a happy life here on Earth, defeating Frieza... The day I tried standing up against that tyrant, I was sent to the past.. I believe Gohan told you this part."

Chi-Chi managed to nod, gulping slightly. The feeling of his hands on her shoulders were burning her up inside and all over. She had let this murderer live in her home for all these months; sleeping in the same room as her sons and leaving herself alone with him. She knew the Saiyans that lived on Planet Vegeta were brutal creatures, but she wished in her heart Bardock wasn't the same. "Y-Yes he did... Why are you telling me all of this?"

Now the hard part...

Bardock took a deep sigh, standing up a little straighter so he was towering above Chi-Chi even more. "Do you remember that night I broke into your room with Gohan?"

"Yes.."

"I had a vision of your death."

Chi-Chi's eyes widened, along with her friends who were now feeling uneasy. "W-What?"

"A demon named Majin Buu killed you," he shook his head, not wanting to look into her eyes anymore so he settled his tired eyes on the sky where everyone took off to. "I didn't want to believe it, but Kakarot and Gohan followed those creeps to this ball thing where Majin Buu is contained in. I just..." He looked slowly back up Chi-Chi, whose eyes were a mixture of confusion and fear. He pulled her into an embrace slowly, causing the woman's breaths to become uneasy. "The guy that cured Gohan told me that your murderer is a thousand times stronger than Frieza... I just don't see how to stop your death from happening."

Chi-Chi was staring into his armor plated chest, breathing into it and trying to wrap her head around what this sudden stranger was telling her. "Bardock..."

He held her tighter, lowering his head so he was speaking into the crown of her hair. "Am I strong?"

"What?"

"Am I strong or weak, Chi-Chi? I've heard you call me both and I need to know your real answer."

"Strong," Chi-Chi was surprised at how soft and weak her voice sounded. "You're very strong, Bardock."

"Then I'll go with them. I'll do what it takes to stop that creature from coming after you," he took a deep breath, giving her one last squeeze. "But if I fail... I want you to know something."

Chi-Chi pulled herself away from him, but her hands were against his chest while he looked down at her. "What is it?"

"I know you hate me now for what I did in the past, but maybe it'll give you some solace knowing I'm damned to hell no matter what I do. You're going to the other side," he smiled sadly while her eyes began to brim with tears she herself couldn't explain. "And when you get there, try finding a woman named Gine. Tell her... Tell her I miss her. Tell her who you are. She'll like you, a lot."

"Bardock," Chi-Chi shook her head, feeling sick in her stomach for ever thinking her father-in-law was a bad man. "Stop talking like this! Nothing is going to happen, and if it does, you'll be here on Earth thanks to the Dragon Balls or in Heaven with us!"

The Saiyan released her from his grip, preparing himself to take flight towards the others. "Being with you, Goten, and Gohan these past few months was the closest to Heaven that I'll ever be. Goodbye, Chi-Chi."

The woman tried reaching out to him to stop, but it was too late. Bulma placed an arm around the now weeping woman as they watched Bardock disappear into the sky.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Where are you going, kid?" Bardock stopped mid-flight once Videl slightly passed him. The girl brushed a growing piece of bangs out of her eyes, and smiled brightly at the familiar face once she saw who it was.

"Gohan and Kibito just move too fast for me," she chuckled, rubbing the back of her head. "Gohan said it might get a little dangerous, too, and I don't really want my head being crushed again."

Bardock nodded knowingly, looking into the distance and still sensing his grandson's ki. "If you're heading back to the tournament, can you find Goten and tell him to take care of Chi-Chi?"

Videl tilted her head inquisitively, but nodded reassuringly. "Yeah, sure! But I wouldn't be so worried, if I were you. You're a tough guy! I'm sure whatever the heck Babidi is, you'll be able to crush him easily." She looked into the sky dreamily, clasping her hands together. "Especially having the little boy who defeated Cell by your side."

Bardock smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Ah, so you finally know?"

"Yeah," Videl blushed. "Gohan is... an amazing guy. I can't believe it. I always had a feeling, too."

"You're a smart girl," Bardock cursed under his breath for what he was about to say. "Strong, too. You're a perfect mate for my grandson."

"Thank you," Videl's blush deepened. "Well, you should get going, they're flying pretty fast! I'll make sure to tell Goten, alright?"

Bardock flashed her a thumbs up before speeding in the direction she was coming from in an alarming speed. Videl remained frozen in the air for a moment, noticing his tail that was worn around his waist now whipping around loosely in the wind.

Now that was something she couldn't figure out.

xxxxxxx

Sensing his grandfather coming up behind him and Kibito, Gohan glanced over his shoulder and flashed his teeth at Bardock. "Hey! Look who finally decided to show up!"

Smirking, Bardock placed himself on the other side of the teenager and noticed that his son and the prince weren't too far ahead. "How far is this place, anyway?"

"Not sure," Kibito replied. "Spopovich and Yamu seem to be descending now, though."

Indeed, the two controlled minds were spotted ahead lowering themselves into wastelands the Z Fighters were approaching. Bardock felt Supreme Kai's group all lower their power levels, so his group did the same. Gohan sped up slightly so he could place himself between Piccolo and Goku. His father looked over at him and beamed. "Looks like we've got our work cut out for us again, Gohan!"

"Yeah," the boy chuckled. "I heard."

Goku glanced over his shoulder to see Bardock coming up on his side, and lowered his speed a bit so the two were next to each other. "Whaddya say about you and me fighting side by side, Legendary Super Saiyan?" Although he could hear Vegeta snarl in the background, Goku winked at his father. "Even though I bet you could take on ten of Babidi's guys at once!"

"Sure, Kakarot," Bardock chuckled darkly. "I'd love to see these guys become scared shitless when they see you and your old man come at them." Once Goku looked away, Bardock's eyebrows furrowed as his stomach starting hurting again. Through previous visions and countless stories from his friends and family, Bardock knew his son was most likely the strongest among them; unlike anything he had ever encountered before.

But why the hell does that not make me feel any better?

"They're landing!" Supreme Kai announced, looking over his shoulder at the Z Fighters as Kibito quickly flew to his side. "Quickly now, let's hide behind these rocks!"

"But sir, this can't be right!" Kibito stressed. "We've searched this entire area!"

"It's probably been in front of us this entire time," Supreme Kai's eyes narrowed as he scowled. "Babidi probably used his powers to hide it extremely well."

The entire group landed on a mountainous rock, crouching behind it and peering out at where Spopovich and Yamu had landed. Goku focused on a strange looking creature stepping out of what seemed to be some sort of entrance protruding from the ground. "Is that Babidi?"

"No," Supreme Kai shook his head, watching as Spopovich and Yamu approached the creature. "It's one of his minions."

"Hm," Goku blinked a couple of times, looking around the area. "That ground looks like it's been dug up or something."

"You talk so damn much, kid." Bardock rolled his eyes, but inched a little closer to his son as they observed the trio.

Kibito pounded a large red fist on the rock angrily, but his voice remained quiet and his power became suppressed once more before the Majin creatures could notice anything. "It's so obvious now! He has it burrowed underground, that's why we couldn't find it!"

Supreme Kai scowled, but kept his power at bay as well. "Babidi must have known me followed him, then! Why else would he feel the need to hide it!?"

Piccolo looked over at him, slight sweatdrops around his green skin. "I say we attack them now, head-on. The longer we wait, the more time they have to resurrect Majin Buu!"

"No," Supreme Kai shook his head. "They have to bring the ball outside, either way. We will wait for the right moment to attack."

Feeling fading energy coming to a complete end, Gohan's eyes wandered over to a small house that was nearby the ship - the only house in the entire area. He saw a dead family of three: a father, a mother, and a little girl. The teen clenched his teeth in anger, memories of Cell's havoc flashing through his mind as he tried to control the rage boiling up inside him. Bardock placed a hand on his shoulder, causing Gohan to look up at him with pained eyes.

"I saw them, too, kid. Just keep that rage hidden until necessary, alright?" Bardock studied his grandson's orbs until they slowly returned to normal, and then he removed his hand.

"Thanks, Gramps. I just...They're so helpless... I can never understand how someone can kill such harmless, innocent people."

Bardock's sickening feeling went wild in his stomach and up to his chest when Gohan brought back memories of his services under the Planet Trade Organization. He just couldn't understand why at the time he absolutely adored being a part of it, but now the thought of it, especially when looking into the eyes of Gohan and Chi-Chi, made him immensely sick.

"Look!" Krillin whispered loudly, bringing Bardock out of his troubling thoughts and pointing at the ship. "Someone's coming out!"

All eyes were on the opening door as a pink, sharp-nailed hand curled around the side. Spopovich and Yamu bowed graciously as the two new figures appearing before them caused Supreme Kai to gasp in horror. "Dabura! What is he doing here?!"

"Cursed wizard!" Kibito snarled, his trembling mixed with panic sweat. "He's even managed to ensnare the demon king!"

Goku observed the two for a moment, his eyes focusing on the short, wrinkly, yellow and creepy looking thing to the tall, pink, devilish one. "Which one is Dabura?"

Supreme Kai gulped. "The tall one."

Bardock looked directly into the eyes of the tall one, although the being was too busy smirking at the vacuum device Spopovich was holding full of his grandson's energy. The Saiyan had seen many horrific things while traveling from planet to planet, but nothing was quite was unsettling as the snake-like yellow eyes of Dabura the Demon King.

For the first time since he could remember, Bardock felt terrified.


	13. The Unlikely Group

"Alright," Trunks spoke to the boy whose shoulders he was currently balancing on top of. "I think we got this!"

"Yeah!" Goten's beaming eyes could be shown through the slits of the Mighty Mask's pants as the odd fighter made his way to the waiting area where their fathers should have been. The two sets of eyes blinked, looking around the empty room save Killa, 18, and Jewel who were looking peeved.

"Uh," Trunks used his small arm to reach behind his masked head. "Where is everyone? What's going on?"

"We're having an intermission," Jewel scoffed, flipping his long blonde hair behind him. "Everyone took off after those two creepy looking fellows attacked that Saiyaman person."

Goten's eyes widened with horror. "What!?"

Jewel raised an eyebrow, hearing Mighty Mask's voice change. "Huh?"

The lavender haired boy lifted his left leg up slightly and brought it down in a harsh manner, causing Goten to wince but keep quiet. Trunks cleared his voice so he could do his best adult voice. "Is Saiyaman okay!?"

The long blonde haired man nodded, but a scowl remained on his face as he crossed his arms and looked away from Mighty Mask to the empty arena. "Yeah, got back up to his feet only to fly away with those other goons. But what good does that do us!? I lost my opponent!"

Trunks could vaguely recall the pairings, but for some reason could remember that Jewel and Yamu were matched up. The boy let out a loud gasp, looking around to make sure the three adults in the room weren't listening to him. Krillin's wife was leaning against a wall with her eyes closed, seemingly asleep but most likely bored, while Jewel and Mighty Mask's opponent Killa were too busy glaring at the announcer as he tried to calm down the outraged crowd.

"Goten!" The boy leaned down so he could look into the eyes of his friend. "The person he's talking about who attacked your brother was that one bald dude with that weird M on his forehead! Remember? The one who came with that giant guy?"

Goten gasped loudly, causing 18 to glance up at Mighty Mask with suspicious piercing blue eyes but remained silent. "Oh no! Where do you think they went!?"

"I don't know," Trunks mused until his eyes glimmered over with excitement. "But I bet whatever they're doing is a lot better than sticking around here!"

18 sweat-dropped, wondering why Mighty Mask was speaking to his crotch. She tucked a loose blonde strand behind her ear, and sighed deeply while the strange man with little arms and legs continued to talk to himself. Whatever the hell Krillin was getting himself into, she bet it was a whole lot more exciting than this...

"HEY!"

The four fighters turned around to see the world champ, Hercule Satan, live and in person. Jewel and Killa began to gush, even bowed at their idol and hero. 18 rolled her eyes, while Mighty Mask brought himself back up right. Trunks had to hold in his laughter seeing the afro-haired goof with red marks still on his face after being slammed into a wall by the junior division champ.

"Since those weaklings were too scared to face the champ and decided to run away, we have decided to have a battle royale!" Hercule placed his hands on his hips, raising his chin high and grinning at his genius plan. "The winner between you four gets to face me for the grand prize! Not that you amateurs stand a chance, but good luck and get out there!"

Killa and Jewel immediately bowed once again to their idol and ran out to the ring where the crowd began to cheer wildly. Pleased with himself, Mr. Satan turned his back to the remaining two in the waiting room and left without another word. Mighty Mask looked at the hard-to-read wife of Krillin and laughed nervously while gesturing for her to go first. "After you, ma'am!"

"But Trunks!" Goten whined. "I thought you said we were going to go after the grown ups!"

"Shut. Up!" Trunks spoke through clenched teeth, looking down at himself and then back at the raised eyebrows of 18 to laugh nervously once again. "Like I said, after you, ma'am!"

"Enough," 18 rolled her eyes and took a step towards Mighty Mask. "You're Krillin's little children friends, aren't you!?"

Trunks and Goten screamed from behind their costume, feeling like their world just shattered apart. "What!?" They said in unison, thinking nobody but Bardock could see through their brilliant disguise. "But how did you know!?"

18 gestured to the set of wide eyes were Mighty Masks' groin should be. "Do I even need to explain?"

"Gosh," Trunks fumed and was thankful his blush was hidden. "You and Goten's grandpa are so smart."

"Naturally," 18 shrugged and then crossed her arms over her chest. "How about you two Saiyan brats go after Krillin for me and I won't tell anyone about this."

"Ooh!" Goten's eyes shined brightly. "How come?"

"You dummy," Trunks looked down at the eyes beneath him. "She's worried about him!"

18 blushed slightly, but her eyes narrowed even more as if those piercing blues were daggers to their chests. "I most certainly am not worried! It just...wouldn't be fair to Marron to not have a father, that's all." She mumbled the last part, causing the boys to giggle and her blush to deepen more.

"Number 18 and Might Mask!?" The announcer called, still frazzled from his ruined tournament he was desperately trying to save. "Please come to the ring right now!"

"Sure," Goten chuckled evilly. "We'll do it for Marron."

"Yeah," Trunks winked. "We'll do it for-"

"Scram, brats!" 18 snapped, tearing the costume in half so the boys' terrified faces were revealed. "Now!"

Trunks immediately hopped off his friend's shoulders so the two were now standing before her with their hands in a salute. "Yes ma'am!" The two children escaped through the back entrance, taking off into the sky and not really knowing what to expect. 18 uncrossed her arms, and began walking up the stairs to the arena but not before taking a look up at the sky.

Please be okay.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bardock let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding in as Dabura reached out to take the vacuum device from Spopovich. "This demon king..." he glanced over at Supreme Kai, whose hands were clenched in purple fists. "Is he strong?"

"Of course he is," Supreme Kai shook, panic sweat forming all over his features as he tried to keep his composure. "He's the king of the demon world. One of you may be the strongest in this world, but Dabura is the strongest by far in his."

Krillin's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. He was prepared for this. "I'm starting to feel a bit outclassed here, guys!" He began chuckling nervously, getting a warning smack from Bardock. Rubbing his new sore spot, Krillin whispered quietly. "How about I take the little one?"

"The little one," Gohan's eyes narrowed in one the wrinkly looking yellow creature. "That's... Babidi, right?"

"Don't be fooled by his appearance," Supreme Kai warned, a feeling of hatred for the cursed wizard swelling up in his chest. "It's not his size you should be concerned about, it's his magic powers. If he is able to keep Dabura under his spell, just imagine the horror he can inflict on this world!"

Piccolo looked at the Supreme Kai in disbelief. "If this demon king is as strong as you say he is, what's going to stop Babidi from controlling us?"

Bardock felt that god awful feeling rising from the pit of his stomach once again as his previous visions flashed through his mind. Things were becoming more clearer by the second, and it was killing him. Why out of all of these fighters did Babidi decide to take control of himself and the prince? How in the hell could it be prevented?

"Fuck," Bardock mumbled under his breath, grabbing onto his head and slightly sliding off the rocks while Gohan looked down at him in concern. "What can I do?"

Gohan was about to speak, but Kibito's voice overtook his. "A wizard seeks out the evil in a person's heart. Once he discovers it, he manipulates them, enhances them, and ultimately uses them to do whatever he wishes. Once Babidi infiltrates a heart, his deed is complete. All he needs is to find a trace of evil and that person is under his spell. Only those pure of heart and free of evil like us have a chance of fighting him successfully!"

"A trace?" Bardock breathed out, looking down at his hands while a vein began to protrude from his forehead. "Of course... It all makes sense.." He slowly glanced up see Vegeta with an inquisitive look in his eyes and a hardly noticeable smirk on his face.

"Gramps?" Gohan jumped down a few feet so he was beside his fallen relative. "What's wrong?"

Bardock reluctantly looked away from the curious prince to his grandson who offering a hand for help. He stared at it for a moment, contemplating on the decisions he had to make. Was he to warn his grandson about himself and the prince coming under the wizard's curse now, or remain silent? Was he to return to Chi-Chi and Goten, keep them safe from this Majin Buu character who undoubtedly would be released, or stay with his son and Gohan to see if he could defeat the wizard and demon king before things went too far?

He manipulates them, enhances them...

Bardock continued to stare at his grandson's extended arm, while the teen began to sweat but let it remain until his grandfather was ready. Gohan knew he over-thought things way too much, probably the cause of his nightmares.

Enhancement.

On his own, the Saiyan grandfather was considerably weak when compared to his oldest grandson, youngest son, and the prince. When defeating Lord Chilled, Bardock's internal struggle of finding strength at the right time had finally got some relief. The almighty power of a Super Saiyan was exactly what he needed at the time, but he never knew he would ever need something more. Never believed there was something more out there.

Until he encountered the Great Saiyaman.

He looked into his grandson's eyes, feeling that strange feeling in his stomach with a mixture of pride. In all of his visions prior to meeting Gohan, he had never seen the boy. Bardock mainly envisioned Kakarot, his incredible strength and heart making him ache with a desire to meet his prodigal son some day, to find himself on planet Earth where the infant had been sent to. Now that he had met his son, he felt that pride mixed with something strange as he did now when he finally had the chance to hug his son.

Yet, there was still something missing. So much to say, so much to do in only twenty four hours.

And now those twenty four hours are going to be spent fighting a devil, bubble gum, and a nut sack.

As much as Bardock wanted to spend with his son Kakarot, he knew the man had to get to know his own son as well between fighting demented creatures and trying to balance his other relationships with people who undoubtedly missed him. Kakarot had those who loved him, and whom he loved back - whatever the hell that word meant to the psychic Saiyan, anyway, the man who believed a heart with emotions was nonexistent. While Bardock...

The Saiyan let out a heavy sigh, but his eyes remained on his grandson's who seemed to be frozen in place with a mixture of confusion and worry taking over his features. Still, the boy remained patient while the innate chatter of the Z Fighters were behind him and Babidi's crew in the distant. "You alright, Gramps?"

Bardock had Gohan. He had little Goten, and Chi-Chi. Bardock was a hero in the eyes of his son, but knew he had a lot to prove in order to be placed on the hierarchy of that...word. That emotion. But his son's family had told him that word numerous times, that word that made his stomach swell up with an explainable but surprisingly pleasant pain that he only felt with one another person in his life...

And the trio who took him in that fateful day months ago weren't going to end up like she did.

He knew what he had to do.

Gohan sighed in relief as Bardock finally grabbed his hand while the teen lifted his grandfather to his feet. "It's about time!" He laughed happily, but shook his hand wildly. "Talk about straining!"

"Oh crap!" The duo looked over quickly at the shaking Krillin, and they followed his pointed finger to the sky where the giant Spopovich was lifted in the air. Bardock's eye twitched in disgust as the brute was gagging, all parts of his body bulging out as if were about to explode. Gohan grabbed his grandfather's arm as they climbed back up the rocks to see what was causing it. The teen let out a growl when he saw the wizard focusing his cruel energy on the man.

Yamu stood trembling in fear at what was happening to his partner, a feeling of betrayal running through his entire body. Spopovich's body was completely covered with veins as every inch of him kept on expanding. Just when Bardock knew it couldn't get any bigger, Spopovich exploded into a million pieces. Slabs of his bloody flesh even splattered against the rocks, causing Krillin to throw up on the side.

"What kind of person..." Gohan shook his head, looking down at the wizard in disbelief. "Kills their own partner!?"

"Too bad," Babidi chuckled darkly and shrugged. "I really liked him, too."

Pui-Pui, the strange looking minion, chuckled in the same manner. "Yes, a terrible loss!"

Dabura spoke, his voice was demonic, no trace of mercy or compassion for a living thing at all. "Yes," he smirked wickedly, and tilted his head in the trembling Yamu's direction. "Now for our other...friend."

Yamu let out a yell before quickly ascending into the sky to escape his treacherous master. Babidi sighed, and looked over at his minion. "Pui-Pui, I'm getting bored. Can you please kill him?"

"Of course!" Pui-Pui smirked, and aimed his arm like a rifle towards Yamu. A purple light began forming at the tip of his finger, and he shot the energy blast immediately at the controlled human who had no chance of escape. He screamed in horror before his body disintegrated into nothing. Babidi began cackling wildly while Gohan looked over at his father.

"Dad, I don't believe it!" The teenager shook his head. "They kill their own men!"

"I know, son. This is bad."

Kibito pounded his fist against the rock in anger. Although he wasn't fond about Spopovich and Yamu, he knew the poor humans were under an evil wizard's control and didn't deserve to die. "That's what Babidi does! Once they're done doing what he wants, he disposes of them like they're nothing! If he releases and controls Majin Buu," the red being's teeth became clenched. "He will destroy all life forms on this Earth and even beyond just like he did to Spopovich and Yamu!"

The Z Fighters all looked at each other uneasily for a moment before turning their attention back to the evil trio in front of the ship.

"That takes care of that." Dabura smirked, and looked down at his master.

Babidi raised an eyebrow. "Yes, but there is one more thing to take care of. It seems we have some visitors. Those two morons were careless when returning here," the wizard looked at the demon king, his prize possession at the moment. "Up there behind that cliff you'll find Supreme Kai and several of his friends."

Dabura glanced up, his yellow snake-like eyes flashing over while his smirk grew. "The fools believe they are well hidden. Eight in total, each of them strong. We cannot use the energy of the Supreme Kai or Kibito, but there are four who possess large energy. It will go a long way towards reviving Majin Buu."

The wizard could sense it all too, and clasped his hands in divine excitement. "More than that, Dabura! Those four alone will give us just what we need to suit our purpose! How marvelous!" He levitated up and flew back a few feet so he was side by side with the demon king. "Why don't we lure those four into our ship so we can absorb their energy? That will be the simplest course of action."

Dabura nodded respectively, but he could spot a flaw. "The Supreme Kai will try to protect them, master."

Babidi shook his worries off. "Oh, I'm sure we can manage our way around that pest. Dispose of the stragglers and head back to the ship; those four will come charging after you in a fit of rage," he looked up at the devil with a darker aura in his eyes. "But spare the Supreme Kai. I will get my own revenge on him for what he did to my father."

"It shall be done." Dabura bowed to his master as he and Pui-Pui went back inside the ship. The demon king stood still for a moment, and then glanced behind him at the cliff where the Supreme Kai was hiding behind. His energy began to rise up while Vegeta gasped.

"He knows that we're here!"

Dabura suddenly appeared directly in front of Kibito with his palm facing the red being's face. Bardock instinctively guarded Gohan while Goku did the same to his father. The Z Fighters and the Supreme Kai were frozen in shock when a bright light formed in Dabura's hand. Kibito let out a blood curdling scream as he was engulfed in the light. Once the scream ended, there was nothing left of the Supreme Kai's guard and only the sound of Dabura's chuckle.

Goku launched himself at the demon king, but Dabura easily dodged him. Vegeta followed suit but his punches were blocked. He tried bringing his leg down on the demon, but Dabura managed to dodge him as well as the prince landed on the rocks. Everything was moving so fast that both the Saiyans hadn't notice a wad of spit was heading towards Krillin.

"Move out of the way!" Supreme Kai yelled, but it was too late. His eyes widened in horror as he saw the kind human trying to wipe Dabura's spit off his face. "Oh, no! I should have warned them!"

Piccolo sprang up at Dabura, but the Namek was rewarded with the same gift. Goku watched in horror as Piccolo landed on the cliffs and began to tremble. The sound of Krillin's painful yells caused the Saiyans to look over at him as he was beginning to turn to stone. Goku jumped down from where he was to try and reach Piccolo's side before the same thing happened to him, but he was already a statue.

"What the fuck is going on!?" Bardock snapped, still standing in front of Gohan but looking at the Supreme Kai.

"They've turned to stone!" Supreme Kai shook, and Goku blinked wildly.

"Huh!?" He looked between the Namek and his best friend frantically. "What do you mean!?"

"It's one of Dabura's powers! His spit turns people into statues!"

"Piccolo!" Goku yelled out, reaching towards his friend until the Supreme Kai begged him to stop.

"No! You mustn't touch him! If you break either one of them, there's no way they'll return to normal!"

Bardock felt Gohan begin to shake with rage from behind him, and the two glared up at the sky to see the demon king beginning to head back towards the ship. He winked at the snarling warriors. "I'll give you one chance to run. Take it, or else you'll end up like your friends."

The remaining five watched with clenched fists as Dabura disappeared back to the ship. "Supreme Kai!" Goku called, and the Shin-jin looked down at him. "How can I make my friends normal again!?"

Supreme Kai lowered his head, as if he was already defeated. "By defeating Dabura."

Goku's tense features suddenly turned joyful as he jumped up excitedly. "That's all!?" He looked over at his son and father, who lined themselves up at his side.

Gohan smiled warmly at his father. "Let's do this, Dad. The three generations fighting together sounds pretty sweet, don't ya think?"

Bardock smirked, ignoring the frantic face of the Supreme Kai. "Yeah. Let's go."

The Supreme Kai watched in horror as the three Saiyans began to head towards the ship. He raised an angry fist in the air like an elderly man tired of these young kids loitering on his lawn. "Don't you guys see that this is a trap!? He's trying to lure you in!"

"Sorry," Bardock waved down at him. "Can't hear you, Shin!"

"Watch over our friends!" Gohan called, and the trio headed off to leave Supreme Kai in disbelief. He looked at Vegeta, the only one remaining besides the stone statues.

"Thank goodness you-"

"Sorry," Vegeta smirked. "Patience isn't our strongest virtue." The prince took off after the family, leaving Supreme Kai to lower his head in defeat. He took a deep sigh before glaring up at them.

"They're all fools! All of them!"

He had no choice but to follow.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I've seen those people in Cinnamon City," Videl mused to herself, soaring through the sky at her own pace. "They do not move like that. I'm actually thinking that...that it's real!"Her blues eyes widened in curiosity and surprise as the air brushed her black hair around.

"Viiiiiiiiiidel! OHHH VIIIIIDEL!"

"Huh?" The girl looked below her to see Goten waving wildly at her with his friend by his side, and she immediately cheered up. "Goten!" She closed the distance between them, and the child wrapped his strong little arms around her in a sweet embrace before letting go to interrogate her."

"Where are you coming from?!" Goten's eyes were wide with wonder, knowing Gohan's girlfriend was with the grown ups when they disappeared. "Huh, huh, huh!?"

"Relax!" Videl chuckled, raising her hands in front of her to calm the child down. She glanced over at Trunks who was looking bored already, and winked at him. "I have an exciting story to tell you - about wizards and demons!"

That got their attention.

The boys listened intently while Videl recalled the sad story of Supreme Kai and the creature named Majin Buu who was under Bibidi's spell. "So, now his son named Babidi is here to release that monster from his ship or something, and that's where your fathers and Gohan are at right now." She took a step back from them, slightly creeped up by the way they seemed to nearly be frothing at the mouth.

"Spaceship!?" Goten's little hands were clenched into fists.

"Wizards!?" Trunks was turning red in the face as if he was going to explode into a million pieces from his excitement.

"Y-Yeah?" Videl blinked, scratching the back of her head. "But it's really dangerous, guys. That's why I was coming back. It's no place for you- HEY!"

The two boys zoomed past her quicker than the speed of light; or so it seemed, leaving the girl frozen in mid-air. First, she had encountered the monkey-tailed Bardock, and now she let two children get themselves mixed up in some kind of evil magic. Videl lowered her head in defeat.

"Chi-Chi is going to kill me."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Ooh!" Goku poked his head inside the ship's opening, only seeing darkness while Gohan and Bardock landed on either side of him. After peering into the creepy abyss for a moment, they sensed Vegeta landing behind them. "Alright, let's go!"

The four Saiyans tried entering the narrow door at the same time; Goku and Gohan becoming the center of a Vegeta and Bardock sandwich. The prince was the first to let out a growl. "Well, somebody get out of the way!"

"I would but I'm stuck," Gohan chuckled nervously, causing Bardock to groan. "What!?"

"You can at least try!"

"Why don't you!?" Gohan accidentally snapped, and then lowered his voice in embarrassment. "Maybe we can blast a part of the ship off so we can all get through."

"Better yet," Vegeta smirked. "We can blast the Legendary Super Saiyan out of the way!"

"What's that, Vegeta? I can't see you over all the average sized Saiyans."

"Shut the fuck up!"

"Easy, easy!" Goku spoke calmly. "We're all friends, here. I know there's a song you can sing in this type of situation that will give you all the answers you need. I think it goes like-AHHH!" Vegeta's arm that was still on the oustide of the ship punched Goku hard in the back so the Saiyan hero fell down the dark pit, causing the entry to have more space.

"There," Vegeta smirked and descended after the fuming Saiyan. "That wasn't so hard, was it, Kakarot!?"

"Vegeta! You did that on purpose!"

The two began bickering while Bardock and Gohan were following closely behind. The four were all caught up in their argument that they hadn't notice the purple being standing in the entrance that was disappearing behind them with a giant sweatdrop on his forehead.

"What have I done?"


	14. Adventures on the Ship

On top of Grand Kai's planet, a small teal-skinned creature could seen pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back as the sound of dead warriors clashed with each other for entertainment. His eyes were narrowed, as if he was deeply troubled over something. He rocked on the tip toes of his feet, looking up at the sky as if somehow he could see Goku waving down at him.

He's fine right now, but I can sense something awful beginning to brew...

King Kai straightened up, now seeing a blue skinned, horned man running up to him. The Shin-jin immediately recognized him as one of King Yemma's helpers. His antennas twitched slightly, trying to tune out the voices and images that were worrying him. "We usually don't see you little guys around here. What's up?"

The blue man was panting slightly, and bowed his head in respect of King Kai. When he stood back up, he smoothed down his white collared shirt. "Well, uh, yes I know sir. But King Yemma sent me here with a special delivery."

King Kai's eyes were now overcome with excitement, like a small child in a candy store. "Ooh!" He clasped his hands together, sighing dreamily up at the orange painted sky. "Is it a new car? You know, my baby was destroyed when Goku-"

"No, no," the helper shook his head, looking slightly impatient due to his exhausting trip. There was a reason his people never traveled this far into Other World; heck, his job was either taking messages for King Yemma when the big guy had to use the bathroom or sweeping the golden road that was Snake Way. "She is definitely not a car."

"She?" King Kai raised an eyebrow, and then peered over the blue creature's head to see his special delivery.

A small woman wearing Saiyan armor similar to that of Bardock's he had seen in his mind was standing across from him. Her hands were placed behind her back, and she was smiling timidly as if she was nervous to be meeting King Kai. Her hair were a series of black downward spikes that ended just under her dainty shoulders. A halo floated proudly above her head, as if it was a symbol of her purity. It was her eyes that caused Goku's former mentor's eyes to widen.

The blue helper looked over his shoulder at the woman, and motioned her to come over quickly. King Kai watched as a curled tail whipped behind her in the gentle breeze before she came to a complete stop by Yemma's right hand man. The blue horned creature adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat before turning to speak to her. "This is all I can do. You're on your own now."

"Thank you," the woman smiled warmly, taking the hand of the sharply dressed assistant and squeezing it in appreciation. "This is more than enough."

The blushing man tugged at his collar, trying to hide his sweat with a nervous giggle and bringing his hand away from the grateful woman. "Y-yes, well... I'll let King Yemma know you made it safely."

The woman nodded, her smile remaining as she waved at the disappearing helper. She turned her attention back to King Kai, who was scratching his head in confusion. "So, you're King Kai, right?"

The teal creature blinked, and finally nodded. "Yes, that's right. Who might you be?"

King Kai watched as the woman ran her small fingers through her hair, as if that was a way she soothed herself when nervous. "You don't know me, and I guess I don't know you either," she laughed nervously, bringing her hand back down so she could fiddle both her thumbs. "But you're very close to someone that I know."

"Hm," King Kai blinked some more. "Alright. You've got me hooked. Who is it?"

"Kakarot - uhm, I guess you call him by some other name," the woman rubbed her chin and looked up at the orange sky, trying to remember the name she had heard the red giant call the Saiyan. "Goku?"

"Ah, yes!" King Kai brightened up, beaming from ear to ear. "He is the best student I have ever had. Strong, strong man with a heart of gold."

The woman smiled sadly, her eyes brimming with tears that she tried blinking away. "My name is Gine. He's... my youngest son."

King Kai fell over on his butt, coughing rapidly as if he was choking on the nonexistent water in his throat. He looked at Gine with wide eyes, pointing a shaky finger at her. "I...I guess I should have known! Those eyes! He has your eyes!" Gine reached a hand down to the Shin-jin, but he quickly slapped it away fearfully. "W-What's a Saiyan doing up here!?"

"Hey!" Gine huffed, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at the fallen King Kai. "What are you trying to say?"

"All you Saiyans from Planet Vegeta were ruthless and cruel! You should be in hell with your other son!"

The woman gasped loudly, causing some of the dead warriors to pause their sparring to look over at the bickering two. "King Yemma lied; you're a very rude man!" Gine crossed her arms over her chest, glaring into King Kai's eyes. "I was never a warrior, and never killed or harmed a soul!"

"Hm?" King Kai's antennae twitched in confusion. "If you're not a warrior, how did you keep your body!?"

Gine shrugged. "I didn't at first. I was just a lonely soul traveling the clouds up here for many years until one of Yemma's helpers came for me." Her eyes brightened up immediately as if she was remembering something that brought her great joy. "He told me that Kakarot had just started to run snake way, that he was the boy who defended his home planet from some demon named Piccolo. Being the hero's mother and sensing my soul was clean, Yemma gave me the special privilege of keeping my body. If you know my son like you say you do, you should know in the first place that not all Saiyans go to Hell!"

King Kai grumbled under his breath, and reached his hand towards Gine so she could help lift him up like she wanted to earlier. "Well," his lips curled up into a reluctant smile as he looked her over. She was now grinning once more, looking sweeter than any woman he had ever encountered. "I guess you have a point... But what are you doing here!? Why did Yemma bring you here, to me!?"

"Well," Gine scratched the back of her head. "When Yemma told me that Kakarot had begun running on Snake Way, I followed way above him so he couldn't see me until he fell asleep and...went off the road."

King Kai snorted. "Yup, that's Goku, alright! Please, continue."

"I was so afraid of what could happen to him. Since I had my body back, I was able to go down there after him. But you know what!?" Gine laughed, shaking her head. "Hell isn't that bad of a place! It even has an amusement park, and Kakarot was having the time of his life competing with ogres! I watched him from behind a tree, wanting so badly to reach out and hold him close like I did when he was a baby but my heart was telling me to let him go for some reason."

King Kai frowned as a tear began to fall down the mother's cheek. For some reason, he could understand and feel her pain. At that time, Goku's only focus was getting to the mentor himself, and most likely would have brushed off Gine. It just wasn't the right time. "So, what did you do? Go searching for your other son down there?"

"Yes," Gine smiled sadly once more. "I came across Hell's prison, where the absolute worse are kept. All the Saiyans were there, of course, most of them old friends of mine who banged wildly on the bars trying to figure out how I was on the outside. One of the guards brought Raditz out to be, and you better believe I gave him an earful when he started beating on the poor guy! I dragged him through the prison by his ears yelling at him for hurting his baby brother!"

"Heh, heh!" The teal Shin-jin chuckled. "You go, Saiyan mama!"

"While I was scolding him, I overheard a lizard in another cell trembling over some 'Super Saiyan' business. I think his name was Chilled or something, and he mentioned Bardock. Raditz said he was just crazy, that this ancestor of Frieza's was just way too old to know of his father."

"Mmhm," King Kai winked knowingly. "You must have figured out about his curse."

"Although Raditz was a prisoner, I decided to stay in Hell with him since I didn't have anyone else. But then one day," Gine continued but returned King Kai's wink. "I could sense my husband was alive and near. When you love someone so much, you can just... feel it inside your heart. I immediately came back to the other side, finally prepared to meet and talk to my Kakarot, to let him know that his father was so close-"

"Continue, continue!"

"-But when I got to the check in station to ask where exactly he was, Yemma told me that he had just gone back to Earth but would be returning in twenty four hours," Gine raised her chin up, as if she was proud of herself. "I must have charmed the over-sized pants off that guy, because he told one of his assistants to bring me to the telepathic King Kai, who knows my son quite well."

"Did he tell you anything else?"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

King Kai snorted with delight. "What I mean is, is that Bardock and Goku are together on Earth right now!"

Gine's eyes widened with excitement and shock. She grabbed King Kai's hands, trembling due to her overwhelming joy rushing through her veins. "What!? Are you serious!? My boys are together, and alive!?"

"Well," he snorted again. "Not Goku. But yes, they are together!"

"Do you think," Gine put on her best puppy dog eyes; the same ones that made Bardock carry her back home when she felt lazy. This time, her victim was King Kai. "That you could help me speak to Bardock?"

King Kai tried to look away, but it was as if he was hypnotized. He wasn't sure if this woman was a pro at getting her way, or if her eyes resembled his favorite student's way too much that he couldn't pass her down. But he gave in with a deep sigh. "Fine, fine. Just place your hand on my back."

On the final level of the ship, Babidi gazed into his crystal ball as five figures began descending from entrance to the first stage. He smiled wickedly, already detecting their powers to be much higher than he could have ever dreamed about. "My, my, this is marvelous!" The wizard clasped his hands together. "Majin Buu will be revived in no time!"

"Shall we inject the energy we have now into the ball, master?" Dabura suggested, smirking at the figures in the crystal ball before looking over his shoulder at Buu's container while holding the vacuum device tightly in his clawed hands.

"Fine, fine!" Babidi waved him off, momentarily turning away from the crystal ball to watch the demon king inject Gohan's energy into Majin Buu's sealed ball. He laughed darkly and cruelly when seeing the meter become half full. "Excellent! At this rate, Majin Buu will be terrorizing these pests in minutes!"

The sound of loud bickering caused Babidi to snarl and look away from his precious project back over to the crystal ball. "Errrk, what are those fools going on about!?"

Dabura slowly approached behind his controller, looking down at the orb with a smirk on his face once more. "It seems Supreme Kai isn't pleased with them. Pui-Pui is on his way to them right now, they'll shut their mouths then."

"Hm, good." Babidi narrowed his eyes on the crystal orb, and signaled Dabura to silence himself so they could observe the strange group of five that had just entered the first level of the ship.

"That was unnecessary, is all I'm saying!" Goku rubbed his back, finally feeling the slight pain disappearing.

"Quit bitching, Kakarot!"

Bardock crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head in disbelief as his son and the prince continued their squabble. He glanced over at Gohan who was chuckling to himself. "The queen of tantrums is telling someone else to stop bitching? I don't believe it!"

Vegeta glared over his shoulder at the two. "You'd be doing the same if you were stuck with two low class clowns and a half-breed that seem to forget how easily I can destroy them!"

"Sure," Goku winked. "Miracles can happen, I guess."

"Hey," Gohan chuckled, raising his hands in defense. "I respect you, Vegeta. I know how strong you are."

The widow-peaked prince looked over the teen for a moment before scoffing. "Shut up, kid."

Bardock smirked when he noticed Vegeta slightly blush before looking away. "Aw, was that your first compliment little guy?" He dodged a ki blast that knocked off some metal material from the ship's wall, chuckling darkly before Supreme Kai screamed. The four Saiyans looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"No!" He exasperated, frantically gesturing around the small room they were in. "Any shock can revive Buu!"

"Why the hell are you here, Shin?" Bardock spat, still not trusting the Kai one bit. "Aren't you suppose to be playing babysitter to a couple of statues right now?"

Supreme Kai gritted his teeth until he regained his composure. He looked around the four men desperately, trying to make them understand the situation they had gotten themselves into. "Dabura lured you four in here so Babidi will be able to steal your energy to revive Majin Buu!"

"Yeah, yeah," Vegeta waved him off, looking around the room. "We've heard this spiel before."

"There's nothing to worry about, Supreme Kai!" Goku pressed, placing a comforting hand on the stressed out being's shoulder. "We'll defeat Dabura to our friends normal again, and then Babidi before that Buu of his can be released!"

Supreme Kai lowered his head, speaking to his shoes but knowing the Saiyans could hear him. "You're going to have to. There is no escaping the ship until Babidi is defeated."

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "I'll solve all our problems right now and blow this place to smithereens."

"What did I just get through telling you!?" Supreme Kai accidentally snapped, feeling like he wanted to pull his white hairs of his mohawk out until he resembled King Kai. "Any shock can revive Majin Buu!"

The prince was about to retort, when a door began to slowly open. The four Saiyans and Supreme Kai turned around to face it; all their hands clenched into fists. Bardock raised an eyebrow when the disgusting looking creature that had killed Yamu hopped out and landed right between him and Vegeta. "The fuck is this thing?"

"Hello fellow warriors," he hissed, looking around the group with his yellow eyes. "You have arrived at stage one."

Gohan sighed in relief. "It's about time someone showed up! These guys were getting close to ripping each other apart!"

Goku blinked, but his eyes and voice remained strong while looking at the mind-controlled creature that had just entered the room. "What's stage one?"

The creature's yellow eyes flicked from Gohan to Goku, a smirk on his face. "Below us is Master Babidi," he hissed loudly, pointing a finger down at the floor. "He is on the bottom level of this ship. We are currently on the top level, stage one. There is no way to get to him unless you beat every warrior that appears at each stage. But you won't even get past stage two since you're dealing with me!" The creature threw his head back and laughed evilly while Bardock and Vegeta exchanged looks.

Goku's lips began to twitch, trying to stifle in his own laughter but failing as his happy sound overthrew the evil warrior's cackles. "Alright, guys! Which one of us gets to fight first!?"

"Hehehehe...Gah!?" The creature dropped his jaw in disbelief as the four Saiyans all turned to face each other.

"There's only one way to settle it," Gohan looked around the circle they had just formed together, earning a nod from them. "Remember, Dad and Grandpa, you said you wanted to fight side by side!"

"Right!" Goku winked at his father, who smirked in return.

In the background, Pui-Pui and Supreme Kai looked at the group with twitching eyes as they began to play rock, paper, scissors.

"One, two, three!"

"Vegeta, your stubby little fingers make it hard to see what you're trying to make!"

"Shut the hell up!"

"One, two, three!"

"What the fuck is that, spawn!? Rock?"

"Y-Yeah?"

"It's another damn tie then!"

"One, two, three!"

"What the hell!" Pui-Pui stamped his foot on the ground, clenching his hands into fists.

As the three generations of Saiyans all brought paper out at the same time, Vegeta raised his two fingers proudly in the air with a smirk to signify his victory. "Scissors win!"

"Aw man," Goku looked down at his boots with a pout. "I wanted to fight this guy with my dad!"

"Wait, Vegeta!" Supreme Kai yelled, taking a step towards the prince while he glanced over his shoulder at him. "You don't really intend on fighting him alone, do you!?"

"Of course I do! What other way is there!? Fighting alongside a clown? No thank you."

Supreme Kai continued to blink in disbelief at the foolish beings he chose to help him out with stopping Majin Buu's reign of terror. The sound of Pui-Pui cackling once more caused them all to look over by the door where he was still standing by.

"Master Babidi told me to be very careful around you because your high energy makes you very strong and dangerous. But you're nothing but a bunch of morons!" He pointed a finger specifically at Vegeta, who returned a smirk.

"The only moron is your master. He never realized that the most powerful fighter alive on this planet is standing right in front of you!"

Bardock looked at his son's halo and rolled his eyes. The prince had a point.

"You!?" Pui-Pui howled. "That kind of arrogance will get you killed!"

The group of five watched as the controlled creature began moving around quickly throughout all corners of the ship. Supreme Kai sweat-dropped, not able to detect where he was while the Saiyans knew the entire time. Once more, the purple being tried desperately to make his new friends understand the seriousness of the situation. "Don't underestimate him! Babidi uses his magic to attract the strongest warriors in the universe!"

Goku slapped his back gently, smiling while the Shin-jin looked nervously up at him. "Hey, don't worry! Let's just stand back and leave this to Vegeta."

Supreme Kai blinked. "Are you... Are you sure?"

Pui-Pui started landing in different corners of the room, striking a new pose at each one. Gohan crossed his arm over his chest and tilted his head slightly. "Geez, I can do it better than that!"

"None of you will ever leave here!" Pui-Pui hissed, landing right beside Vegeta. "Every once of energy you lose while I pound you will be absorbed by this room, and as that energy is absorbed it will be channeled directly to Majin Buu!"

"Oh," Vegeta pouted. "That's so unfortunate. Your precious Buu won't have any of my energy because you'll never lay a finger on me."

The creature growled, doing a backflip away from Vegeta. "I'll do much more than hurt you! When you fight Pui-Pui, death is a certainty!"

"Oh God," Bardock blinked, and called out to the prince. "Just put the bastard out of his misery. His name is Pui-Pui."

"And annoying as fuck." Vegeta added before appearing in a flash before his opponent. He smirked devilishly, getting himself into a signature stance. "Welcome to the end of your life, and I promise it's going to hurt."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The sound of two boys laughing filled the evening sky as Trunks and Goten continue to perform their own flying tricks in the air on the way to their fathers. Goten giggled in delight as Trunks did a perfect figure 8, leaving behind a trace. The boy's laughter ended immediately when his bladder suddenly took control of his emotions.

"Trunks!" Goten whined, holding his hands between his legs while he hopped foot to foot. "I need to pee!"

The lavender-haired boy rolled his eyes and gestured to a series of cliffs not too far below them. "Alright, alright. I guess I sorta have to go, too. Let's land right down there!"

Upon descending, the messy-haired child noticed a strange shape stoned and immediately picked it as his victim. Landing just behind it, the boy pulled down his pants and began spelling his name on the stone while laughing. "Boy, do I feel better!"

"Wait a minute, dude," Trunks was on the other side of the stone, blinking. "Doesn't this look a lot like Krillin?"

"Hm?" Goten pulled up his pants immediately and ran in a circle to the front side. Sure enough, the statue was a complete replica of his father's friend. He frowned looking it over. "Why does he look so scared?"

"I dunno," Trunks shrugged, turning his attention to another statue not too far away. "Hey! That one looks like that Piccolo guy!"

"Ooh!" The boys hopped down the cliff to get a better look at the Namek. Goten reached a small hand up to touch his pant leg. "Sooo realistic! I wonder who put these here!?"

The son of Vegeta smirked, placing his hands on the other pant leg. "Probably some fans... But where's one of my dad!?"

"And mine!" Son of Goku whined.

The boys were too busy complaining about the lack of their fathers' statues that they didn't realize they were rocking Piccolo back and forth. The sound of the stone shattering to pieces caused them to exchange looks and sweat profusely.

"Ahh man! Look what you did, Goten!"

"Me!? That was you!"

Trunks bit his lower lip, looking around nervously to make sure nobody was watching. "Well, we're in the clear. Let's get out of here before whoever comes realizes we ruined their artwork!"

"Right!" Goten nodded, and the two levitated up. They were prepared to take off when they noticed a strange object protruding from the ground. The child pointed a finger at it, looking at his friend. "What do you think that is?"

Trunks eyes glimmered over with excitement. "I think it's the spaceship where the grown ups are at! Come on, let's go let's go!" He took off with his messy-haired friend following suit. They landed right before the entrance and Trunks furrowed his purple eyebrows. "How do we get in!? It's like it's closed up or something!"

"Not fair!" Goten pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. "The grown ups locked us out! What do we do now?"

His friend sighed in defeat. "I guess we wait until they come out. Darn, what are they going to do without our help?" The boys turned their backs on the ship, prepared to walk over to a shaded area and wait for their fathers, Gohan, and Bardock to show themselves when a cackling voice came from behind.

"Where do you think you two are going!?"

Trunks and Goten looked over their shoulders to see a group of ten minions with M stamped on their foreheads. They were all staring at the boys menacingly, snarling their teeth. The boys turned around to face them fully. "We're gonna go wait for the grown ups!" Goten beamed.

"I don't think so!" One of the smaller minions hissed. "Those who come near Master Babidi's ship never live to tell about it!"

Smirking, Trunks placed his hands on his hips and glanced at his friend. "Dude, do we even need to go Super for this?"

"Nuh uh!"

"Alright," the lavender-haired boy cracked his knuckles and motioned for the group of minions to come closer. "Come on, uglies!"

"Oh my God what the hell is happening right now!?"

Pui Pui had just tried getting Vegeta with his strongest kick, but the Saiyan prince had grabbed his foot with little to no effort. The Majin creature was now being swirled around in a three sixty until Vegeta let go. Pui Pui smacked against the wall of the room hard, causing Bardock to sigh.

"This is such bullshit!"

Gohan looked up at him inquisitively while Supreme Kai stood shocked and amazed at how the prince was holding his own against one of Babidi's slaves. "What do you mean, Gramps?"

Bardock crossed his arms over his chest, fiddling his fingers against his biceps in frustration. "As much as I hate to admit it, the prince is too strong. It's obvious this Pee Pee guy-"

"Pui-Pui."

"-This Pui-Pui guy is one of the weakest opponents here. Vegeta should have lost this match so he could fight against a stronger opponent."

Goku nodded at his father, and then turned his attention back to his old rival laughing at the way Pui-Pui struggled to stand up. "Yeah, but the three of us are strong, too! Plus, look at the guy! He's having the time of his life!"

"You crazy bastard! What the hell are you!?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What the hell is he!?" Babidi snarled, pounding his small fist against the ball. "A mere earthling like him should be dead by now!"

Dabura tapped his clawed fingers against his master's shoulders. "Perhaps, you could bring them to Pui Pui's home planet. He'll have a greater advantage there."

Babidi muttered under his breath. "Fine, very well." He glared at the minion as Vegeta continued to laugh. "Just remind me to kill Pui Pui once he's done with these morons."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The six in the room began to look around as it suddenly started to change. They were no longer on the ship, but rather on a dark skied, red planet with gusty winds whipping their hair around. Gohan blinked, and then glanced down at Supreme Kai. "Where are we?"

Supreme Kai scowled, glaring at Pui Pui who was now on his feet and smirking. "It's that darn Babidi! He used his magic and brought us here as an advantage!"

"Ooh," Goku looked around the windy red planet and grinned wildly. "Now this will be interesting!"

"Goku!" Supreme Kai glared up at him. "He didn't use it as an advantage for Vegeta!"

"I know," he winked. "That's what makes it interesting!"

"Welcome to Planet Zoon!" Pui Pui cackled, lifting up a rock that was near his feet. "You'll notice this is very different than your planet! It's the gravity; ten times stronger than Earth!" He dropped the rock, and Vegeta raised an eyebrow as the planet shook.

"Only ten times?"

Bardock shook his head, smiling to himself as Pui-Pui looked at the prince in disbelief. "This guy will be dead in ten seconds."

"Hm!?" Supreme Kai now turned his attention the older Saiyan. "What are you talking about, Bardock!? Surely Vegeta can't move very well on a planet with a gravity stronger than his!?" The Shin-jin blinked as Bardock gestured to Vegeta, reluctantly turning his attention back to the fight.

Vegeta chuckled darkly, taking a step towards Pui-Pui. "Maybe if this were five hundred times Earth's gravity, you might be at an advantage. But ten?" His smirk grew and voice lowered. "I don't even feel it."

"You're bluffing!" Pui-Pui trembled, a mixture of fear and frustration. "There's no way you can withstand five hundred times normal gravity!"

The prince shrugged, not taking his eyes off his victim. "I've got quite the poker face, Pui-Pui. It's hard to tell."

"Enough!" The creature yelled, charging towards the flame-haired Saiyan. He began sending a series of punches rapidly at his face, but Vegeta dodged them as if they were nothing. Getting tired of this weakling, Vegeta punched Pui-Pui's gut with such force that it caused the minion to spit up blood. The prince then struck his leg out and sent Pui-Pui flying into a rock that shattered into a million pieces.

Goku and Gohan cheered wildly, while Bardock and Supreme Kai watched Vegeta begin to jog in place with his fists up like a boxer waiting for round two. Supreme Kai spoke to Bardock, his eyes not believing what he was seeing. "Who are you people!?"

"Saiyans," Bardock replied proudly. "Now don't blink, Shin, you might just miss it."

Pui-Pui was snarling wildly, jumping to his feet and once more charging towards the smug prince. To his shock, Vegeta was suddenly in front of him, placing gloved hands on Pui-Pui's chest.

"Do you still think I'm bluffing?"

The minion's eyes widened in horror as two orbs of yellow light coming from Vegeta's hands merged into one. He screamed bloody murder as the prince's Double Galick Cannon completely obilirated him until there was nothing left. The group found themselves immediately back on Babidi's ship, while Goku scratched the back of his head.

"Aw, geez, Vegeta! Did you have to kill him?"

"It's not a time to be a pansy ass, Kakarot. The only way to move on to Babidi is by completely destroying the warrior on each level," Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at the large circle in the center of the room as it began to move. "It looks like entrance to the second floor is opening up."

Gohan, Goku, and Bardock came running to his side. "It looks like an elevator shaft!" Gohan mused, looking at his dad for reassurance it was okay to move on. His father gave him a thumbs up.

"Come on, guys! Let's go!" He was the first to descend, followed by Gohan who was grinning and then Vegeta. Bardock was about to go down, when he noticed Supreme Kai still standing in the corner.

"Are you coming or not, Shin?"

"Oh wow," his eye twitched. "Now I see. You Saiyans are strong!"

Bardock shrugged, but a smirk remained on his face as he descended down to the second floor with Supreme Kai following close behind.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The wizard's entire face was twitching in anger after witnessing Pui-Pui completely fail to gather energy. He glared behind him at Dabura, who was equally stunned. "I don't get it! I thought there wasn't suppose to be anyone on Earth this strong!"

"I don't understand!" Dabura snarled, gesturing to the group on the orb. "When we checked this place three hundred years ago, there wasn't a single powerful soul."

"Curses!" Babidi clenched his teeth, but Dabura placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

"There is no need to worry. They still have two levels to get through before they come here, and if they manage to make it this far, they'll have to face me." The two exchanged looks before howling together at the malicious plan. Babidi felt more relaxed knowing that his most powerful slave would get the job done. Still, there was a strange feeling in his chest whenever he looked at his crystal ball.

"Who do we send in next, master?"

Babidi's lip twitched, strumming his fingers against the orb while glaring at the Saiyans and Supreme Kai. "Yakon."

Dabura's eyes widened in shock. "What!? This situation hardly calls for such extreme measures!"

The wizard continue to stare hard at the group trying to wreck his entire plan. "I think we underestimated those four. You see, Pui-Pui was destoryed without managing a single hit on that fighter!"

The demon king smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "But with Yakon out there, he's going to finish everyone off. There won't be anyone left for me."

"We're not here to have fun!" Babidi snapped, turning over his shoulder to scold Dabura. "We are here to release Majin Buu and destroy planet Earth! Got it!? Understand!?"

Dabura bowed respectively. "Yes, sir. Forgive me." He pointed a long-nailed finger at one of the minions standing guard by the door. "Tell Yakon to fight!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Goku and Bardock stood side by side, cracking their knuckles. "Are you ready for this, Pops!?"

The Saiyan of legends raised an eyebrow at the nickname, but couldn't help but have that strange feeling when he heard it. "Let's just hope this guy is stronger than Pee-Pee."

Supreme Kai cleared his throat so the next two fighters would look at him. "Pardon me for asking, but why are you two fighting together? After witnessing that, I'm sure one of you alone is strong enough."

Goku smiled at his father and then looked down at Supreme Kai. "Well ya see, my old man and me haven't really spent time together since... well, never! I just thought it would be great to fight side by side."

"Never?" Supreme Kai blinked, looking from one Saiyan father to the other. "What do you mean?"

"He's a time traveler!" Gohan piped up, beaming from ear to ear. "Part of some curse or something, right Gramps?"

Bardock scratched the back of his head, looking down at his green tipped boots. "Something like that."

"And a traitor!" Vegeta scoffed, and then looked around the room. "Whoever comes in next won't stand much chance, even battling just one of you low class dogs. Why don't we just blast through this hole and get to Babidi now?"

"No!" Supreme Kai groaned. "For the final time today; even though he isn't at full power, any shock could release Majin Buu and that would be disastrous!"

"Bah," Vegeta waved him. "I'm beginning to believe Majin Buu isn't worth fighting after all. And the same goes for that Dabura!"

"What!?" Supreme Kai blinked rapidly. "You can't be serious!?"

"He doesn't scare me at all. From what I saw, all I need to do is watch out for is his spit. Once I do that, I can defeat him. Your friend Kibito was careless."

The purple being clenched his hands into fists, trying to keep his composure while turning to Goku. "Do you agree with him!?"

"Of course," Goku grinned. "Dabura's not that tough. If it were a couple of years ago, we might be afraid of him. But now? No way!"

"Hey!" Gohan interrupted, pointing excitingly at the door that was beginning to open. "The next guy is coming out!" The gang watched with intense eyes as the door began to rise up. Bardock's lips twisted up in disgust when the first thing that came to sight were green feet with black claws. He continued to look the creature up and down as it fully appeared into the room. Its knees were a bit knobby, but the upper chest of the beast was thick and expanded greatly although its rip cage was showing. The nails on its hands were almost as long as its arms, and the cursed M was imprinted where the heart should be. The eyes once more gleamed yellow, and saliva dripped off its sharp fangs.

"The fuck is this thing!?"

"Must you ask that every single time?" Supreme Kai scolded, and then glared at Gohan who was squatted and raised his arms up his chest, waving his hands around to mock the creature. "And must you imitate it!?"

Yakon began walking towards Bardock and Goku, opening his mouth to reveal a long black tongue while he groaned and snarled at his next meal. "Kakarot," Bardock held his hands to his mouth. "I think I'm going to be sick!"

"Ew," Goku's eyes widened, looking up at Yakon as he stopped right in front of him. The creature towered above them massively. "He sure is an ugly one!"

"Yummy, yummy!" Yakon licked his chops, looking hungrily down at the father and son duo. "Which one do I eat first?"

"Why'd we have to get this one?" Goku pouted. "Sure, he's big. But he seems kinda dumb."

"WHAT!?"

Goku turned to face his nauseous looking father, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You want me to attack first? It seems the sight of this ugly bum is making you sick!"

Bardock looked up from his boots to his son's eyes. "Nah, I'm fine kid." He glanced up when a pool of saliva landed on his shoulder. Yakon was drooling all over the Saiyan father, seemingly picking him as his first snack. Wiping the saliva off in disgust, Bardock's eyes narrowed in a deadly fashion. "Alright, that's it, you're dead."

Yakon growled, reaching his hand down to slash Bardock who flew up to dodge it. Becoming even angrier, the green monster charged Bardock and managed to slash part of his armor. Bardock landed on his feet, noticing the slash that was across his chest. "Shit, I guess I need to be more alert."

"My turn!" Goku winked, earning a thumbs up from his father as he lowered both arms with one remaining close to his face and two fingers extended on each hand. He was getting ready to leap at the monster when suddenly the entire room turned black. Yakon began chuckling devilishly, realizing his master had put him in his natural habitat.

"What happened?" Gohan blinked. "Did someone turn the lights out?"

"No," Supreme Kai snarled. "It was Babidi once again! We are now on the planet where Yakkon was born, Dark Star! It is at the farthest end of the universe where no light can be seen!"

Yakon continued to cackle, watching Goku and Bardock with careful eyes. "You can't see me, but I can see you!" He started slashing rapidly at both of the Saiyans, and the creature's eyes widened when he realized what was happening. "How are you two dodging everything!? I-" Bardock appeared above Yakon's head, coming down on him hard with hands clenched in an ax-handle, sending him flying downwards.

"Get him, son!"

The creature landed on the ground, rubbing his aching head only to have his face be kicked in by Goku who was waiting for him, sending his leg in a perfect diagonal upwards. Yakon flew back into a giant rock, breaking it into pieces while Bardock landed by his son's side. Groaning, the monster got to his feet and began to sweat profusely while looking at the father and son duo.

"Y-You guys can see, in the dark!?"

"No," Goku smirked. "We can sense your movements from the subtle vibration in the air."

"And that godawful smell of yours is a dead giveaway," Bardock added.

"But we do have one way of seeing you," Goku smirked, looking over at his father who nodded as the two focused their energy into becoming Super Saiyans. Yakon's eyes widened in complete shock as the golden aura illuminated the entire area. "Come on out! I found my flashlight!"

Yakon relaxed, and began chuckling darkly. "Well done, you can now see me."

Bardock raised an eyebrow as the giant monster came into sight. "Why is he so calm?" Just then, the monster opened his mouth widely and began sucking in the light that was coming off of the Saiyans until they were back to their base forms. The two exchanged looks, and jumped when they realized the room was pitch black once more.

"W-What happened!?" Gohan looked down at Supreme Kai, who was slightly sweating.

"Yakon is the type of monster that eats light energy. With those two being Super Saiyans, the light emitted from them is like a delicacy!"

"Did he hear that?" Bardock asked, hearing Goku laugh in response.

"Why don't you go sit this one out, Dad? I want to fight by myself this time. You need to save your energy."

Bardock scratched the back of his head, trying to determine if what his son was suggesting was the right thing to do. He knew deep in his mind that he was outclassed by his son, but he hated walking away from a fresh fight. Still, the images of Chi-Chi and Gohan dying were enough to let him know his answer. "Alright, kid. I'm counting on you."

He watched with wide eyes as his son transformed into a Super Saiyan once more, the sounds of protests coming from the rest of the group in the background. Goku's feet were planted heavily on the soil as Yakon began taking all of his energy once more, but this time he was lasting much longer. Bardock raised an eyebrow as the belly of the beast began to expand more and more, and gasped when his son ascended further beyond. The energy became too much for the creature, who exploded into nothing.

"Kakarot," Bardock reached a hand towards him, the room returning to normal once again so they all could see each other. "That was... incredible."

Goku had returned to his base form, rubbing the back of his head and grinning. "Ah, it was nothing!"

"Interesting," Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest. "You still have energy to spare."

Bardock could detect a hint of jealousy in Vegeta's eyes, decided not to press on about it. His son, his Kakarot, was truly remarkable. And that's all that mattered at the moment.

The hole opened up, signaling it was time for the third level. The Saiyans immediately descended downwards, leaving Supreme Kai alone once more to gather his thoughts before following.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Babidi nearly keeled over on the floor after witnessing the death of his most feared monster. His wrinkly yellow hands were trembling. "Yakkon... went boom? Why... Why did Yakon go boom!?"

"It was all a trap," Dabura snarled. "Yakon ate more energy than he could handle, and for his greed he suffered the ultimate consequence."

Babidi shook his head wildly. "But why!? My precious Yakon!" He pointed a shaky finger at the crystal ball, aiming towards Goku. "That is no ordinary earthling!"

"Don't worry, master. I'll take care of everything!" Dabura chuckled darkly while Babidi looked up at him. "For stage three, I will be the final warrior. And I promise you, I'll revive Majin Buu with their energy right after I finish all of them."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Man, what's taking so long!" Gohan frowned, crossing his arms over his chest while staring at the door where the final opponent should be appearing.

Goku chuckled, placing a hand on his son's shoulder. "Hey, don't worry! I bet Babidi is just having a hard time finding someone that can hold their own against you."

"I guess you're right," Gohan smiled and then looked up at the ceiling nervously. "I kinda feel bad about leaving the tournament. I hope everyone is doing okay."

Vegeta snarled, glaring over at Goku. "I would have preferred to fight you there, Kakarot! This has been a waste of my time!"

"Yeah, I get that!" Gohan smirked, looking at Bardock. "I would have loved fighting Gramps to the end!"

While the four squabbled about how each fight would go against each other if they remained at the tournament, Supreme Kai looked on in disbelief.

These Saiyans love the thrill of the fight so much, that they ignore the serious problem facing them! How reckless!

After a good long while of impatiently waiting, the door began to rise as the group of five turned to face it. Supreme Kai gasped in horror when he saw the devilish creature appear, taking one long stride in the room while smirking directly at Gohan. "Dabura!"

"Yes. You must now face me," the yellow eyes flicked between the five. "Which means you'll progress no further."

Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest, not phased by the demon king one bit. "Your boss must be pretty nervous to send out his top man. Where is Babidi, anyway? Too scared to come out?"

"Dispense with the idle talk," Dabura's smirk disappeared and a scowl replaced it. "All of you, attack me now, head on."

Gohan fumed, taking a step towards the demon king. "What!? No way! It's my turn to fight and that's what I'm gonna do!"

"Damn straight!" Bardock cheered, causing Supreme Kai to glare up at him.

The scowl of Dabura's deepened. "You fool!"

The teenager rubbed his chin, putting his thoughts together. "But this is such a lame place to fight. We really need to get a cool planet like the other levels did!"

Dabura crouched on both knees, extending a palm forward. "Idiotic child! You will fight me here and now!"

"Wait, Dabura!"

The six figures in the room looked up at the ceiling, hearing the voice of the wizard echoing around them. "Yes?"

Glaring into his crystal ball, Babidi was staring directly into the eyes of Gohan who had a curious expression on his face. "Taking this fight to another place doesn't sound too bad. We need this ship intact to revive Majin Buu."

Dabura stood up straight and nodded. "Of course, master."

"Any preferences?"

The demon king smirked. "A planet like this one. I don't want an unfair advantage."

The group found themselves once more being transported to another planet, except this one was exactly like Earth save the blood red sky. All their was to the place were large mountains and bodies of water. Bardock sighed in relief realizing that the gravity was the same. He knew his grandson was powerful, but Vegeta had gone on about how much he had slacked during the seven year period after reaching his maximum potential.

Stay alive, kid. Stay alive.

"Shall we begin?" Dabura asked, a sinister grin on his face as he looked Gohan up and down. The teenager brought himself into a fighting stance, one hand raised that was already preparing an energy blast while the other rested by his side.

"Let's do this!" Gohan charged towards Dabura, who easily dodged his manuever and the two began darting around the red sky after one another. Bardock tapped his feet impatiently, wondering how long this cat and mouse chase was going to go on until Gohan suddenly disappeared under water. The ki blast he was forming earlier exploded through the water and went straight for the demon king.

"The fool!" Dabura raised his palm out to deflect the blast back down to him when Gohan suddenly appeared beside him. The teen struck out his leg to kick Dabura in the face, who went flying into a mountain. Gohan was nearly hit by his own attack, managing to dodge it just in time.

"Whew, I better be more careful next time!" Gohan wiped a trickle of panic sweat away from his forehead, putting his focus back on the mountain that Dabura had gone through. The demon king let out a powerful yell, and sent the giant rock pieces Gohan's direction. Dabura smirked as he watched the pile along with the boy disappear behind another random pile. He landed on his feet, walking towards it when a blinding golden light came out. The demon king's jaw dropped when he saw his opponent, now with golden hair and icy eyes, standing on top of the ruble and looking like the previous fighter who killed Yakon.

"That's my boy!" Goku yelled, egging him on.

"Finally," Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest. "Now it's time for the real fight. Let's see how Dabura can stand against a Super Saiyan."

Dabura stood growling at the new being above him, not sure what to do. He was prepared to make the first move, when Gohan suddenly appeared before and uppercut his chest badly. Gohan swung an arm back to hit the devil's face, but the creature was already heading towards the sky. Gohan narrowed his eyes at where he was sensing his energy, and surprised Dabura with a kick to the end. The demon king once more was sent flying to the ground.

Do it for Piccolo and Krillin. Do it for Piccolo and Krillin.

Gohan landed in front of the demon king, reaching his arms out and charging an enormous energy blast. He fired it, and quickly flew up in the sky to anticipate Dabura's next move. Sure enough, he felt the creature's energy coming from behind him and grabbed Dabura's fist before it punched him in the face.

Smirking, Gohan decided to toy with the demon king and allow him to have a free punch. When allowed, Gohan went flying back so the two were more distant from each other. Frustrated, Dabura powered up and sent a large red blast towards Gohan who wasn't expecting it. The blast hit the teen, sending him sliding across the ground and ripping his green tunic to bits. The kid slowly got to his feet, dusting himself off and levitating back up.

"Uh," Goku rubbed the back of his head. "I guess he has kinda slacked a bit."

"Either that, or he's just too busy toying with him!" Bardock rolled his eyes. "Come on, kid!"

Dabura came flying down to the teen, a large sword forming in his hands. Gohan's eyes widened as the demon king brought his weapon down to slay him, but it only managed to chop a few blonde hairs off his head. The devil brought the sword back down again, faster and stronger, and Gohan powered up before catching the sharp tip of it with both hands. The two shook with rage, one trying to force the object down while the other tried forcing it up. Eventually, it was too much for the sword to take and it snapped in half.

"Oh, enough of this!" Vegeta snarled, standing in front of Bardock and Goku. Sensing an evil energy, Dabura turned his head to listen to the conversation. "I can't take this anymore! Why are we subjected ourselves to this!? Look, just call him down already, Kakarot! I'll finish this!"

"Just like him fight!" Goku pressed. "He hasn't lost yet, he's hanging in there! Just let him finish!"

"Why should I stand around all day acting like this masters!?" Vegeta pointed an angry finger at his old rival while Bardock took a step back. "I can end this in five minutes! I'm not here to play games, Kakarot, or create precious father-son bonding moments! Knock off the sentimental shit already! The strongest one is the one to do the job, and that's me, not him!"

"Shut the fuck up, prince!" Bardock snapped, pushing Vegeta away from his son. "As I understand it, you're not shit compared to Kakarot and I bet if I took the time to figure it out, I could destroy you in five minutes like you claim you'll do to Dabura! I wish I was sent back to the time you arrived on Earth so I could see you begging for mercy!"

Dabura smiled wickedly.

Master. Please bring us back to the ship immediately. I made a discovery.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After Dabura had disappeared back to Babidi with that promise of 'new recruits', Vegeta shoved Gohan back. "A warrior with Saiyan blood should have killed Dabura! You're an absolute disgrace!"

Bardock observed in the corner as his son stepped in to stop the prince from beating on his grandson. Supreme Kai looked around nervously, and Bardock's heart began to sink to his stomach when he realized it was time. Everything was perfectly aligned; the vision was going to come true. But when?

Just then, the screams of Vegeta echoed throughout the room as the prince dropped to his knees. Supreme Kai panicked, running to the fallen Saiyan's side while telling the others to say things to him to fight off Babidi's control.

Bardock looked on, feeling guilty while watching his grandson struggle to keep the angry Vegeta calm. As soon as the prince's screaming grew louder, Bardock felt something begin to attack his head as well. He dropped to his knees; Supreme Kai gasping loudly. "Oh no! Both of them!? But I thought Bardock had no evil left! Quickly now, someone go to his side!"

"Gohan, go!" He could hear his son order.

It was all too much for Bardock.

He could hear Babidi screaming at the top of his lungs, convincing him of all the strength he could offer and what marvelous things can happen when paired with Vegeta. He could hear his grandson urging him to resist. He could hear the sound of the prince's blood curdling scream. The vision hadn't quite prepared him for this. Just when he thought his head was going to explode from all the noise, one seemed to block out all the rest.

"Bardock?"

The Saiyan's eyes opened widely, his breathing out of control and vision blurry as he tried to focus on the tile beneath him. He listened to the sound of Gohan begin to comfort him and Babidi snaking his way into his mind until the feminine, heartbreaking voice shot through his ears once more.

"Bardock. I can't believe you!"

"Gine?" He breathed out, causing Gohan to tilt his head in confusion.

"..Gine?"

"Tune everything out and listen to me. Please, I beg you."

The poor male's heart was racing until he thought it was going to shatter in a million pieces, but he did as he was told. "How..."

"Just listen. You are not crazy, alright? This is really me, your wife. I met a guy in other world named King Kai, make sure to ask Kakarot about him alright? He's a very kind man."

The sound of snorting could be heard, causing Bardock's eye to twitch but he continue to study the tile. Soon enough, Gine's voice was the only one he could hear.

"Shame on you, the Bardock I know would never become someone's slave!"

"You don't understand," his voice was extremely weak as Gohan looked down at him helplessly while Vegeta turned Super Saiyan. "I... I need to do this. To save them. It's the only way to unlock my powers-"

"Oh, my poor Bardock. You break my heart so much. What are you doing, then? Being here with them? You're not a fighter, Bardock."

"Yes, I am!"

"No. You're a protector. You've always been one. Especially for me."

"Yeah," Bardock shook his head, a drip of sweat from his forehead dripping down his hair and landing on the tile. "And you're still being a little pain in the ass."

"Geez, Gramps," Gohan lowered his head. "I didn't even do anything!"

"Go protect those you love. You're the wisest man I know. Use that, along with your heart, and you'll never go wrong."

Bardock smirked, his chest aching imagining his wife saying all of this. "Even in the after life, you're still cheesy as fuck."

"I swear, Bardock, next time I see you I'm cutting your tail off with my butcher knife!"

The Saiyan's vision became more hazy, but a sad smile crossed his face. "Maybe being dead won't be so bad after all, if I get to see you again."

"Don't talk like that. I need you to live, Bardock, to live and protect those that don't have a chance. Giving in to evil won't solve your problems, and you know that. You still have a chance to save your soul. Stop being so blind. I've told you a million times your heart is more than an organ. Listen to it."

"You're my angel, Gine."

"Then promise me that you'll do what you can to stay alive."

"I'm not strong enough."

"Oh, but you are. You really are. You just fought the wizard's curse."

Bardock opened both eyes, realizing that the room and the voices inside his head had ceased to exist. He slowly brought himself to his feet, and Gohan quickly peaked under his red headband to make sure there wasn't an M imprinted on his forehead. When he sighed in relief, Bardock smiled and glanced up at the ceiling.

I miss you, Gine.

"Keep holding that river back and the levee may break."

Bardock furrowed his eyebrows together. What the fuck does that mean!?

"It's a saying, you jerk! It means the more you try to hide from yourself and others, the more damage you'll do! I'm going to go now, alright? I nearly have King Kai on the ground thanks to how angry you make me! But I love you, and I'll speak to you soon."

Please do.

"Oh no!" Supreme Kai's voice was the first thing Bardock heard once Gine's disappeared. He followed the shin-jin's finger as he pointed at the prince, whose eyes were darker and the cursed M was imprinted on his forehead. "We're too late!"


	15. Birth of Bardiccolo

Miles and miles away from the World Martial Arts Tournament where their mothers were probably searching for them, two little boys sat on top of a pile of ten unconscious bodies looking rather bored. The oldest of the two sighed heavily, causing the messy-haired one to tilt his head in his direction.

"What's wrong, Trunks?"

The lavender-haired boy gestured behind him to the locked spaceship, a small frustrated vein protruding from his forehead. "I can't believe my dad would keep me out here with these pathetic losers! I bet you all the real action and that Buu monster are all in the ship right now and our dads are having all the fun!"

Goten began to pout as well, realizing just how unfair life was for two bored children. "Yeah!" He looked down at the pile of defeated minions. "We could make spaghetti out of Buu! We took care of these guys in one minute flat!"

The boys sighed once more in unison, glancing up at the glowering mid-afternoon sun. Trunks wiped some sweat off his forehead with the back of his arm and nudged his best friend. "Let's go find some shade?" The boy yawned. "I want to take a nap for a bit. Who knows how long it's going to take the grown ups to finally come ask for our help."

Goten, equally exhausted for some reason, yawned as well. "Yeah! I'm sure they'll come shaking us awake when they realize how much they need us!"

The children hopped off the pile of minions and raced each other back to the shaded cliff where they had found the Krillin and Piccolo statues, now in pieces, and sprawled out on different sections. Soon after they closed their eyes, the boys were out cold, snoring louder than a hibernating bear.

If they had kept their eyes open just a few seconds longer, they would have saw the figure in the sky descending towards them.

xxxxxxx

As soon as Bardock had settled his eyes on the new Majin Vegeta, they were once more transported somewhere else. "Son of a bitch," he cursed under his breath, glancing up at the ceiling of the spaceship's room before it disappeared once again. "The visions can be changed."

Once his world stopped spinning, the psychic Saiyan realized where the evil wizard had brought the group now. It was like deja vu striking him once more; seeing the crowd gasping and pointing at the return of the fighters that had abandoned the tournament earlier. Except unlike what he had witnessed inside his mind, only the dark Prince Vegeta was controlled and posing a threat.

Bardock closed his eyes, listening to the sound of Majin Vegeta demanding Kakarot for a fight while Supreme Kai protested. It was all to familiar. Slowly reopening his lids, he looked at his grandson who was biting his nails. "Why are you so tense, kid?"

Gohan looked at his grandfather with widened orbs. "Are you kidding me!? Freaking Vegeta is possessed and wants to fight my dad! Just look at how... evil he looks! The last time I saw him like this was..." he blinked, seemingly trying to shake away a memory he didn't want to have. "When he first came to Earth." When the teenager noticed Bardock looking bored, he flicked his nose and caused his grandfather to snarl.

"What!?"

"Aren't you worried Vegeta's going to kill us all!? Or at least try!?"

Bardock studied his grandson's angry eyes for a moment before sighing. Vegeta continued his spiel to Goku about how different they are; about how he finally had the chance to beat him. The scar-faced Saiyan motioned to part of the bleachers where a vast amount of spectators were booing the group for interrupting Mr. Satan's victory speech. "He's going to send a blast in that direction."

"What!?" Gohan frantically glanced at the unfamiliar faces, still caring for them even though they were strangers. "How do you know!?" The teen watched in disbelief as Bardock raised five fingers and began counting down the seconds, lowering one finger at a time while his father was shouting at Vegeta. Once Bardock's fingers were all down, the teen looked over at the Majin who smirked devilishly and sent an enormous blast towards Goku.

"DAD!" He watched as his father tried blocking the blast from hitting the audience, but to no avail. The powerful energy ricocheted off the large arms of Goku and struck the part of the bleachers where Bardock had predicted it would. Trembling, Gohan turned his attention back to his grandfather who was now looking somewhere else. "How... Vegeta, oh no..."

"Don't be so upset, kid," Bardock didn't take his eyes off the stands where Chi-Chi was holding on to an unconscious Bulma who feinted from her husband's action. "He didn't kill your mother. As long as his wife is around here, no harm will be done to those you...care about." The Saiyan's eye twitched for a moment before he closed his eyes to detect where his youngest grandson was only to have his concentration broken by Gohan shaking him.

"How did you know that was going to happen!?" The teen's eyes were pained, and made Bardock feel uneasy. "And why didn't you do anything to stop it!?"

The Saiyan shrugged, but forced a small apologetic smile on his face. "Come on, kid. Your father was at least able to fight against it for a bit. I would have been blasted to death; along with the people behind me." His smile quickly disappeared, remembering Frieza's SuperNova and lowered his voice. "And I promised someone I would stay alive."

"Do you let yourself become a slave!?" The two looked over at Goku, who was snarling at the shorter, now evil Saiyan who struck his arm out to the side with a sinister grin. Even Bardock had to gasp; snapping out of his vision before this part could be seen. Goku shouted in horror as Vegeta once more killed another large group of spectators and decimated more of the once beautiful temple.

"Tell me," his lips twisted up in a frightening smirk. "Is it slavery when you get what you want?"

"Wait," Gohan slowly looked away from the evacuating fans who were desperately trying to escape death and back to his grandfather who was looking off into the distance. "Are you telling me Vegeta let this happen!?"

Bardock simply nodded, not wanting to look at his sad grandson's face because he knew guilt would wash over him completely. The Saiyan suddenly scowled, picking up the ki of two certain children. "Those brats are near Babidi's ship!"

Gohan was about to question his grandfather, when the rising power of his father caused him to focus his attention on what was happening in the center of the arena. Frighteningly angry, a look the son had only witnessed on Namek when Krillin was murdered before their very eyes, Goku was glowering at the prince who seemed to be quiet pleased with the destruction he had caused.

Bardock blinked a couple of times, now turning his attention to his usually calm son who was now unusually bothered. He knew the look in his son's eyes extremely well. "Shit," he breathed. "Kakarot's come out of hiding."

Goku glared up at the sky, shouting for Babidi to transport them away from the terrified people so he could fight Vegeta. Supreme Kai scowled, determined to keep the Saiyans from releasing a terrible monster onto their beautiful world. The purple being stood in between the warriors, facing the maddened Goku and spreading his arms out to the side in a protective stance. "I have no choice."

"Neither do I."

Bardock's jaw dropped as he watched his son extend his palm outwards to the God and began charging up a blast that would be sure to kill him. Gohan slightly trembled, disbelieving his father was threatening the life of Supreme Kai. "Gramps.. You really don't think he'd do it, would you?"

"Well," the scar-faced one crossed his arms over his chest, slightly proud that his son was showing a bit of his Saiyan side. "That little shit paralyzed you and let those two fucks run off with your energy. Do you really think your father is going to tolerate more of Shin's bullshit?"

Gohan blinked a couple of times, not really sure what to say to that. His grandfather did have a point, but still, he could never imagine his father killing someone willingly. Yet there he was, threatening the life of Supreme Kai with absolutely no remorse in his now icy green eyes. The teen sighed in relief when Supreme Kai dropped his head in defeat and moved out of the way."Do what you will. I can't stop you."

Goku brought his hand back down to his side and glanced at the pained Shin-jin. "I'm sorry, Supreme Kai."

The voice of the god was quiet, defeated. "Yes, so am I."

Within moments, the group disappeared from the arena as fast as they had arrived, leaving nothing behind save a destroyed temple and disintegrated bodies.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"Darn it!" Videl yelled out, descending towards the destroyed arena. She had saw Gohan on the ring alongside Bardock, but was too slow. He had disappeared from sight just before she could reach him. She landed on an empty bleacher that was once full, watching as hordes of people were leaving through the exit doors. "What happened here!?"

"Videl!"

The blue-eyed girl whipped her head around to see Chi-Chi a few seats behind her, holding onto a blue haired woman in a tight red dress. Videl quickly levitated up and flew over to Gohan's mother, landing right beside her. "Hey, Chi-Chi, what the heck happened to the stands? And the people?"

Chi-Chi bit her bottom lip, placing Bulma down on the seat and instructing Yamcha to fan her off. While the former bandit did so, the woman turned her attention back to her future daughter-in-law and sighed heavily. "Those bums were here for a moment, and then they were gone! Vegeta freaking blasted and killed so many of those poor people!" Videl watched with now widened eyes as Chi-Chi clasped her hands together and looked down at the ring where the Saiyan men had just been. "I thought those days were over."

"Huh?" Videl tilted her head, recalling that this Vegeta person was the one who broke the punching machine and caused Bardock to get bloody during lunchtime. "What do you mean, 'those days'?"

The hardworking mother waved her off, noticing Bulma was beginning to stir. "I'll tell you later," she whispered. "Bulma doesn't like to be reminded of it." Videl followed Chi-Chi's finger, seeing it aimed at the blue-haired woman.

"Oh," Videl whispered back. "Is this his wife?"

Chi-Chi nodded, and then her eyes widened as she noticed something very important was missing. Two very important somethings. "Where are Goten and Trunks!?" she gasped, leaning over the railing and trying to see if there were any signs of messy spikes or lavender hair. She looked on in horror when there was nothing. "You don't think that... they were in that explosion, do you!?"

The teenager began laughing loudly and nervously, causing Chi-Chi to look at her with a raised eyebrow. Placing her hands on her hips, she glared at Videl until she told her what she knew. The girl sighed deeply, knowing there was no escape. "I saw them on my way over here. They went after Gohan."

"What!?" Chi-Chi shrieked, her hands in fists. "And you let them GO!?"

"Don't you think I tried to stop them!?" Videl snapped back, and then blushed in embarrassment at her tone. She looked down at her boots sheepishly. "I'm so sorry I yelled at you like that... But they're so much faster than me. There's no way I could have stopped them."

Chi-Chi frowned, looking the embarrassed girl up and down and then patting her on the back gently. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be blaming you for their carelessness. I saw you take off with Gohan earlier, do you know what's going on?"

Ox, Yamcha, Roshi, Puar, Oolong, and 18 flying in with little Marron in her arms all looked at Videl with intensity, ready to clear up the confusion. They all watched with wide eyes as she told them about Majin Buu and the wizard Babidi, about mind control and just who exactly that strange being was that made Piccolo forfeit. Once she was done, she was so surprised they were all taking it lightly, as if it was nothing out of the ordinary.

"So," Oolong nudged her and winked. "Did you finally realize Gohan was the one who defeated Cell and not your father?"

"OOLONG!" Chi-Chi snapped, smacking him upside the head while Videl laughed.

"No, no, it's okay!" She smiled as Oolong glared up at his friend's wife, rubbing the sore spot on his head. "I had a feeling all along, and now I know it's true. I just can't believe it.. Gohan is so incredible.." Videl blushed hard when she realized the group was winking at her, as if they knew of her attraction to the dork all along. "Anyway! There is something I'm still confused about!"

"What's that, dear?" Chi-Chi tilted her head.

"It's about Bardock," she noticed how her almost mother-in-law's ears perked up when she said his name. "That tail that he has. It's real, isn't it?"

"Tail?"

The group looked down at the previous unconscious woman who was beginning to sit up straight. Her eyes were locked directly on Videl's of the same color. "Mmhm," Videl reassured. "A tail."

They continued to stare at Bulma while the genius began to wrack her brains. She had listened to the entire story, understanding now that her husband had fallen under control of an evil wizard. There were two things she needed to do, now. One was gather the Dragon Balls to bring back the innocent victims whose lives were taken by Vegeta, and the other... "That means he can transform into a giant ape still."

Everyone but Videl exchanged knowing looks with each other, while the girl scratched the back of her head.

"Uh...what?"

xxxxxxx

Bardock smirked hearing Majin Vegeta announce to Babidi that he couldn't take his pride away from him. He could just imagine the ugly wizard's face right now, completely shocked and horrified that he picked the wrong person to do his dirty work. Still, the energy that would generate from the fight between the two of the most powerful beings on Earth would be enough to revive the monster, and Supreme Kai knew this.

"Would you care to join Gohan and I on our mission to destroy Babidi and the sealed ball before it's too late, Bardock?" Supreme Kai was feeling a bit better with his new plan, accepting the fact he couldn't stop two Saiyans from fighting.

The scar-faced Saiyan smirked, sensing his other grandson's energy not too far from where they were. "I'll wait for you on the other side. There's two brats I gotta protect," he winked at his son who was determined to stopping Vegeta. "One of us has to do some fathering around here."

Supreme Kai chuckled, noticing that an entry to the ship had magically appeared on the ground of the rocky wastelands where Babidi had transported them. The purple being proceded to smirk, knowing the wizard was waiting for him and the mighty warrior he was now so confident in. "Quickly, Gohan! We mustn't waste any more time!"

They watched as the entry opened up, begging them to drop down. Gohan nodded, and then looked at Bardock who was preparing to take off in his little brother's direction. "Be careful, Gramps."

The grandfather turned around to fully face him, and chuckled darkly. "I'd be more worried about yourself, kid."

Gohan fiddled with his thumbs for a moment while Supreme Kai began calling him over. Without hesitation, the teen embraced Bardock for a moment before letting go. Without another word and without looking back, the half-Saiyan warrior dropped down the shoot with Supreme Kai following suit. Bardock stared after them for a bit, an aching feeling in his chest wondering if he was making the right decision until he felt a strong hand touch his shoulder.

Goku was smiling thankfully at him, his eyes a mixture of pain and hope. "Can I tell you something, Dad?"

"Hurry up!" Majin Vegeta snarled, way too eager to fight his rival. "This has gone on long enough!"

Ignoring the angry Saiyan, Bardock nodded although a bit surprised his son was speaking to him at such a serious moment. "Sure, kid. What is it?"

"When King Kai first told me you were here on Earth with my sons and wife," Bardock raised an eyebrow hearing his son mentioned that name, the same person Gine was with earlier. "I was really uneasy about what you were going to do, being a Saiyan from Planet Vegeta and all. But now... Now, I feel like you've been more of a father to my sons than I ever was or could be."

Bardock suddenly felt that god-awful feeling arise in his chest again, but kept his eyes steady on his son while Vegeta groaned something about being tired of sentimental bullshit. "Nah. Don't say that, Kakarot. I haven't done shit for them."

Goku shook his head, a sad smile remaining on his face. "Yes, you have. Especially Goten. I hate that my only day I get the chance to be with him gets ruined like this, but I don't feel so bad knowing he's got a great grandfather to take care of him and teach him. I wish there was a way that I could thank you."

The scar-faced Saiyan studied his eyes for a moment. "Actually, there is. Once you return to Other World, there is a woman with that King Kai person you mentioned. Her name is Gine. Introduce yourself to her for me, will ya? She'd.. she'd like that."

"Gine, huh?" The messy-haired hero smiled and then got himself into a fighting stance. "Alright, sure. I'd love to. Now get going, Dad. We don't have any more time to waste."

Bardock nodded, taking one last look at his son he was oh, so proud of before him and the dark prince clashed. He turned his attention away, focusing on the sky and hoping his wife was listening. "Did you hear that, pain in my ass? Now you can't say I never did anything nice for you."

I love you, Bardock!

"Shit," he laughed to himself, his eyes focusing in on two sleeping bodies while beginning to descend. "I didn't think you were there."

But then again, she always has been.

xxxxxxxxxx

Feeling the ground vibrate slightly, Goten was the first of the boys to open his eyes. Blinking them slowly until his vision became clear, he noticed a tall figure looking down at him. He jolted up to his feet, prepared to fight what creeper had arrived to kidnap him but wailing his lungs out to wake Trunks up. The lavender-haired boy quickly got to his feet and stood by his friend's side, both glaring up at the intruder with their fists raised.

"Calm down, idiots."

The boys sighed in relief, finally taking a moment to actually see who the figure was. It was a Saiyan with all too familiar hairstyle and red headband, not looking too happy. "What the hell are you guys doing here!?"

"We wanted to help you guys fight Majin Buu!" Goten exclaimed, jumping up and down excitedly. "Where is he where is he where is he!?"

Trunks rolled his eyes, pretending to be embarrassed by his friend's childish antics but feeling the exact same way. He just wanted to look cool in front of Bardock. "Yeah, dude. Where is he?"

Bardock sighed, taking a seat on the shaded grassy cliff and patting the area in front of him, signaling the boys to take a seat. The two looked at each other with raised eyebrows, but decided it was best to listen. They plopped down in front of him with their arms crossed, looking annoyed. "Hey," Bardock warned. "Don't look at me like that. This is important."

Trying their best to soften up their looks, the boys sighed in defeat. Grown ups were always ruining the fun. "What is it, Grandpa?" Goten pouted.

"I'm going to tell you guys a little story about a man who survived a deadly explosion and can see the future."

"Boring," Trunks yawned, getting to his feet while looking down at his friend with a smirk. "You can stay here and listen, but I'm going where the action is!"

"Sit down, kid!" Bardock snapped and then snarled with the boy just raised a purple eyebrow in defiance. "Or do you want me to tell your mother you're being disrespectful!?"

Trunks' eyes widened fearfully, and he quickly sat back down. There was only one person he feared in this world, and that was his mama. "Alright, alright! Don't tell her anything, I'll listen to your stupid story!"

Bardock flashed his white fangs at the child and began telling the boys about how he got his powers without mentioning any names. He wasn't sure how much Vegeta or Gohan had told the boys about their Saiyan heritage, so he tried keeping it as light as possible without letting the prince's boy know just how brutal his father was. He knew he had to distract them from seeing their fathers killing each other, and storytelling was the only way he knew how. It got their attention; and he was able to get to the point he really wanted to make.

"During one of these visions, the man saw two young boys doing a fusion dance. During a fusion dance, two bodies merge into one kickass warrior. It can be any two people in the world, as long as they make their power levels even."

"Wow!" Goten's eyes were wide with wander as he glanced over at his best friend and then back to Bardock. "You mean like us!?"

Bardock smirked. "Exactly. This man saw two boys just like you combine their powers and create an overwhelmingly strong being. Would you boys like to see how it's done, and maybe try it yourselves so we can fight Majin Buu together?"

The boys began biting their lips, trying to hold in their shouts of joy but to no avail. They quickly jumped to their feet, and began cheering. "Yeah, yeah, yeah! Let's do it!"

"Alright," Bardock got to his feet, remembering the dance that the boys did in his vision perfectly but then he sweatdropped. "Wait a second, kids. I need someone to do this with me."

"Ooh! Ooh! Ooh!" Goten yelled, pointing at himself. "Me! Me! Me!"

Bardock shook his head, scratching the back of it. "Nah, kid. You're too tiny to demonstrate it, plus you need to see it be done yourself to understand." The scar-faced one glared down at his boots, frustrated with himself for thinking it was a smart idea to teach the kids how to fuse so Kakarot would have more time with Chi-Chi before he had to return to Other World.

Shit, shit, shit. It's not like someone is going to magically appear by my side-

It was at that moment that a confused voice came from below him. "Uh, hello?"

The three Saiyans looked at each other for a second, and then ran over to the edge of the cliff to see Krillin standing there looking lost. Bardock's jaw dropped. "They're not statues anymore," he blinked. "Did Gohan really kill Dabura that quickly?"

Hearing the husky voice, Krillin glanced up to see the three staring down at him and he waved awkwardly. "Hey, guys! So uh," he chuckled. "Where is everybody? What happened after that guy spit on me!?"

"Oh, no!" Goten whispered to his friend. "I don't think those statues, were statues!"

Trunks gasped, looking mortified. "D-Does that mean-" their eyes slowly wandered over to where the bits and pieces of Piccolo lay; no longer stony gray colors but green. "OH NO!"

Bardock snarled, taking his attention away from Krillin and looking down at the boys. "What the hell did you guys do to him!?"

"Nothing!" The boys trembled violently, backing away from the angry grandfather. He was prepared to grab them by the throat and shake them when Krillin called out for Bardock.

"Hey, don't worry, man! He's regenerating!"

The three immediately looked back down at the green man forming his body parts back together until he was one again. Standing up, he wiped down his pants and glared up at the two brats as if he knew what they did. They quickly hid behind Bardock for protection while the Saiyan gagged.

"You Nameks are disgusting."

"Heh," Piccolo smirked. "Nice to see you're still alive. But where are the others? What's happening?"

Bardock lowered himself down to his son's friends with Trunks and Goten attached to either leg. Once he landed, he shook them off and began explaining everything without mentioning the part of Trunks' father allowing himself to fall under the wizard's control. Piccolo still knew though, sensing the seriousness in the air and the extremely high power levels in the distant that the boys constantly kept asking about.

"So this fusion," Piccolo's eye twitched. "It's a dance?" The boys were sitting in front of them, watching with intensity in hopes of seeing how the dance is performed. Bardock nodded.

"Yeah, and I think it's a sign from the Gods that you're back to normal so you can help me demonstrate it to them. In the vision, you and Kakarot did it but I don't want him to waste any more of the time he's been given."

"I see," Piccolo nodded but then blushed slightly. "It better not be embarrassing."

Sure enough, it was. The two had hidden behind a large boulder while Krillin tried his best to entertain the increasingly bored children. The Namek's eyes twitched in disgust as Bardock explained and showed him what he saw his son doing. Of course, he had heard Gohan making fun of him for doing yoga with Chi-Chi so it didn't surprise Piccolo the Saiyan had picked up the moves so easily. Still, it was just too embarrassing for the poor alien. "Can't you do it yourself!?"

"No," Bardock growled. "In order for those brats to understand it perfectly, I need someone to do it with me."

Piccolo studied his hardened orbs for a moment, and then sighed in defeat. He swore to himself that this would be the only time he gave up his dignity, and it was for the sake of his home and the ones he had grown to care about. "Fine," he muttered and was still a bit red in the face. "Let's do it."

Trunks and Goten clapped their hands in excitement when the two warriors returned to their sight of vision. "Alright!" They cheered. "Show us!"

Piccolo looked over at Bardock with uncertainty, but the scar-faced one simply nodded. "For Gohan."

"For Gohan."

"Fuuuuuuuuusion...Haaaaaaa!"

Krillin, Trunks, and Goten's eyes widened as a bright light began to form, not able to see the final pose the two adults had struck. Beginning to feel strange, Piccolo snarled loudly. "Hey, you bastard! Did you happen to match my power level!?"

"I didn't think anything was going-"

The three observes had to close their eyes as the light grew brighter and bigger. Sensing it was gone from behind their lids, they reopened their eyes and let out a scream at what they saw.

No longer stood the Saiyan grandfather or the big green uncle.

Instead, there stood a being that looked like Bardock, with green skin and little antennae protruding from his forehead. He was wearing white pants, a sash, and a vest with yellow padding around the shoulders and neck. He looked down at himself, and then back at the horrified faces in front of him.

"Shit."


	16. Fight for Earth

"Mr. Krillin!" Goten pointed a shaky finger at the new being before them, a mixture of naseua and fear rising in the pit of his little stomach. "What happened to my grandpa!?"

Trunks gulped, taking a step back. "And what happened to Mr. Piccolo!?"

The former monk scratched the back of his head, not really fearing this stranger but slightly shocked that the fusion had worked. "Well," Krillin took a deep breath, and raised his chest up high to look tough for the kids who seemed to be relying on him as their hero at the moment. The poor man never got to experience that much; only from his own daughter. He looked directly into the eyes of the giant being. "Do you have a name?"

"Bardiccolo."

The three jumped, their eyes widening as the voice of this green skinned Bardock spoke. His voice was a combination of the Saiyan himself and the Namek he had accidentally fused with. "Well, uh, Bardiccolo," Krillin sweatdropped saying the ridiculous name. "Do you know how long you're here with us before Bardock and Piccolo come back?"

The messy-haired Bardiccolo turned his gaze to the direction where he was sensing an enormously high and extremely evil power. His black eyebrows furrowed, causing his antennas to twitch. "I only have thirty minutes to defeat Majin Buu."

"Thirty minutes?" Krillin studdered, while the children scowled behind him and finally came out of their hiding spot. Trunks pointed an angry finger at Bardiccolo, notably upset with the weirdo trying to steal his moment.

"Defeat!? I don't think so."

"Yeah," Goten struck his chest out. "That's a job only Trunks and me can do!"

The lavender-haired boy laughed, elbowing his friend and then shaking his head at the fused being. "Can you believe this freak? He just shows up out of nowhere and thinks he can take our fight away from us!?"

At this point, the green-skinned Saiyan/Namek combination was eyeing the boys through his peripherals at they continue to brag about their strength. Krillin took notice of it and chuckled nervously. With the mindset of Bardock and Piccolo mixed together, Bardiccolo obviously wasn't going to take any of their shit. That's for sure.

"Guys," Krillin chuckled some more, trying to get them to stop before Bardiccolo would snap. "Everyone knows you boys are extremely strong, but you heard what Bardock said earlier! The only way you could stand a real chance against that monster, is if you two fuse!"

Trunks wagged a finger at the former bald man and smirked. "Nuh, uh, uh! Bardock isn't around, is he? He was careless and now he's a hideous freak! Just leave it to me and Goten, dude! We can handle it!"

Krillin nervously glanced up at Bardiccolo, whose large green hands were clenched into fists. He spoke through clench teeth while the children began laughing, hoping they'd get the point to stop. "Boys, I really don't think-"

"Move aside, Bardiccolo!" Goten was surprisingly the first of the boys to begin marching towards the fused (and frankly pissed off) warrior. Before the mini Goku could get just even a centimeter ahead of Bardiccolo, he was backhanded and face planted on the ground. The child began to whine, causing Trunks to charge towards Bardiccolo only to receive the same punishment. The two boys were now on their asses, after sitting up to rub the back of their heads while sniffling.

"Geez," Krillin blinked at the child abuse he was the only witness to. "Don't you think that was a bit harsh?"

"Don't tell their mothers," Bardiccolo sent a warning glance to the short man, who nodded nervously in return. It was hard to tell whether it was Bardock or Piccolo speaking to him, but knew it came from both of them. There is just no messing with the wives or mothers of Saiyans. The being, with eyes the same as Bardock's, glared down at the crying boys who were trying so hard not to do so. "Alright, listen up you sniveling brats. You two stay here with Krillin while I fight Majin Buu. Got it?"

"But Mr. Bardiccolo-" they whined at the same time, only to be hushed by the raising of the deadly green hand that sent them to where they are now. The boys quickly shut their mouths.

"No more," Bardiccolo growled, his fangs showing while looking back in the direction where he was beginning to sense a power level fading away. His hands clenched into fists again, sensing in the opposite direction his son and the prince still battling it out. He growled once more, a little louder, realizing they had been giving off way too much energy and Gohan and Shin had failed their mission to destroy the sealed ball where the monster rested. "No more." he repeated, and took off in the direction of Majin Buu.

Goten and Trunks exchanged looks, worry taking over their innocent expressions while jumping to their feet. Their mouths opened widely, seeing how fast Bardiccolo moved. The throbbing area on the back of their heads reminding them he was also very strong. The mini Goku stamped his little boot onto the ground and pouted. "We can't just stand here and do nothing, Trunks! That's my grandpa... At least half of him! I can't let him die! Or Gohan!"

Trunks nodded affirmingly, preparing himself to chase after his best friend's fused grandfather alongside him when Krillin stepped in front of them with his arms spread out as if that was going to stop them. "I'm sorry," he announced with his eyes full of determination. "I promised him I would watch you two and you're not going anywhere!"

The purple-haired child gasped loudly, pointing a finger at something from behind Krillin's head. "Oh my gosh, it's 18! Hi 18!" He snickered to himself as the short man's eyes widened in horror, slowly turning around. His wife didn't have ki, so he sure as hell wasn't taking the chance. As Krillin continued to turn, Goten pouted and tugged at the sleeve of Trunks' green gi.

"Where is she, Trunks?! I don't see her- AH!" The messy-haired child was pulled into the air by his best friend as he explained that he was just trying to distract the grown up from ruining their chance to save Bardiccolo. "OH! Wow, you're so smart, Trunks!"

The boy shrugged, letting go of Goten's arms as the two darted off in Bardiccolo's direction. "I know, I know. Come on!"

Krillin searched the sky behind him for a bit, trying to find his wife. He scratched the back of his head. "I don't think she's here, Trunks." When the man didn't get a response, he quickly jumped around and cursed loudly, realizing he had been duped. He followed in their direction, blushing from his own embarrassment. "Great! Now Bardock, Piccolo, Chi-Chi and Bulma are going to kill me!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alright, you Namek son of a bitch, we're really going to do this.

That's right, you Saiyan bastard. Heh, I was a bit nervous about us sharing a body, but I think it might work out in our favor.

Bardiccolo smirked to himself, but it quickly vanished when he saw what was beneath him. The body of the demon king, laying in cold blood and lifeless against a ruble of rocks, was in his sight. The fused being stopped for a moment, blinking in disbelief. There was no way that Gohan could have done this. Surely, he didn't have it in him.

Or did he?

Thanks to Piccolo's memories, the Bardock part of Bardiccolo was finally able to see what his grandson was like during the Cell Games. It wasn't that dorky Saiyaman; it was a young enraged Saiyan who put an end to Cell Juniors that were terrorizing the ones he loved. It was the young Saiyan who held no remorse when watching the catastrophic android who had ruined the lives of so many begin to disintegrate into nothing.

If what Supreme Kai said was true, about the planet being in great danger if this Buu creature was released into it, then perhaps Gohan was capable of killing someone if it were for the right reasons and the right reasons only.

Bardiccolo took one last look at the dead Dabura before continuing his way to where he was sensing the evil energy, along with Babidi, Gohan, and Supreme Kai. The green-skinned Saiyamekian cursed under his breath. "Shit, that has to be Majin Buu!" Bardiccolo amped up his already fast speed and snarled. "Please... be alright, kid."

Green man, is there any way possible I could still become a Super Saiyan?

I highly doubt it, jackass.

"Green Grandpa!"

Bardiccolo stopped immediately, and turned around to see Goten and Trunks eagerly trying to catch up with him with the lowly Krillin following behind. Cursing under his breath for the nth time, the Saiyamekian clenched his hands into fists at his sides while the trio stopped a few feet away from him. "You're the worst babysitter in the world, shorty. I should get your fucking daughter out here so you'll understand the situation!"

Krillin's eyes darkened over at the mention of Marron, but kept his composure otherwise. After all, Bardiccolo had a right to be upset with him. The poor human knew all about Bardock and his affection for Goten by those few moments they visited the island while training for the tournament. Adding his daughter into the already dire situation caused Krillin to lower his head in shame. "I'm... I'm sorry. They just wanted to make sure you'll be okay."

Bardiccolo's eye twitced for a moment, and then it ended. He looked at the pleading, guilty eyes of the small boys as they pouted for a chance to fight alongside him. No doubt, they wanted to be with their fathers for this moment but for some reason weren't allowed to be near them at the moment and they weren't even near the wizard! How boring was that!? "We won't get in the way," Goten frowned. "We'll even hide or something until you call us out. We just really wanna see that Buu monster!"

"Yeah," Trunks sniffed. "We just wanna size him up and then we'll help you when need it - if you need it." He added the last part of good measure, trying to butter up the freaky adult.

"You better not, or so help me God I will purge your entire planet."

Krillin blinked a couple of times, watching the disappearing back of Bardiccolo as the children scratched the back of their heads. "Heh," he chuckled nervously. "I don't know if that was Bardock or Piccolo talking to be honest with you."

The boys turned around to face the adult they were stuck with. "What does purge mean?" Goten tilted his head like a confused puppy dog, causing Krillin to sweat a bit more than he already was. Trying hard to shake it off, he beamed brightly and pointed to a large cliff.

"Nothing, nothing! Hey! Why don't we go hide over there and you two can practice that fusion dance!?" Krillin's grin became genuine when he realized he had just come up with a brilliant plan. "Yeah, yeah! Maybe you two can fuse into a powerful being like Bardiccolo! How about that!?"

Trunks blushed in embarrassment. "No way! You saw how ridiculous the grown ups looked doing it; just imagine Goten and me!"

"Yeah!" Goten joined in, but secretly thought the dance was cool.

"Well," Krillin smirked wickedly at them, narrowing his eyes. "If you don't want to, I guess I'll just tell your mothers that you're being disrespectful." Oh yeah, Krill-man! Hit 'em where it hurts!

The boys' eyes widened knowing he was serious, and then dropped their heads to mumble under their breaths. "Fine," they said in unison and began descending to the cliff. "We'll practice the fusion dance."

Score one, Krillin.

And mothers of half-Saiyan children.

xxxxxxxx

"Too bad about Dabura," Babidi shrugged his bony shoulders, smirking and cackling at the dancing pink blob that was causing Supreme Kai to tremble in fear a few feet away. "He shouldn't have disrespected my perfect creature like that!"

Gohan felt sick to his stomach after watching the horror that was displayed. When he fought Dabura, he thought the demon king was strong - very strong. But this Buu... he made him look like he was nothing more than a mere bug. Still in his Super Saiyan 2 form, the teen looked down at the frightened and equally sickened Supreme Kai. "I can't believe..." He glanced up to see Majin Buu dancing around and clapping his hands happily. "That guy killed Dabura. He's like an infant."

"Pow, pow, pow!" Buu sang, moving to the left and then the right. "Ow, ow, ow!"

Babidi settled his eyes on the duo and glowered. "Majin Buu, kill those insects now!"

The heroes watched with weary eyes as the pink creature froze mid-dance and then crossed his chubby arms over his chest. Turning his nose up in the air, he spoke to his master. "No. Buu wants to play!"

"Play!?" The wizard's eye twitched. "Play!?"

Supreme Kai couldn't help but snicker to himself. He nudged Gohan, who turned his attention away from the bickering two. "It seems Majin Buu doesn't want to obey his master."

"Hm," Gohan nodded, but it didn't make him feel any better. "I'm sure Babidi will find his way. Just watch." He gestured back over to the master and puppet, and Supreme Kai followed with his eyes.

"Majin Buu!" Babidi snarled, raising a wrinkly fist in the air. "If you don't behave, you're going back in the ball! Would you like that!?" The duo's eyes left the angry wizard to the infant-like Buu who seemed to be thinking about his options. He let out a quiet sigh and nodded.

"Okay, okay!" A sinister grin crossed his face. "Buu listen, Buu listen."

Gohan clenched his fists so hard that blood began seeping through his fingers. The two evil beings were planning their death right in front of them, and the teenager knew they weren't going to be the last. A loud buzzing sound went through the warrior's ears suddenly, instantly muting Supreme Kai and the others. He closed his eyes tightly as his heart began to pound rapidly.

A rage was pulsating through his veins; memories flooding through him that he wanted so, so badly to forget.

Although seven years had come and gone and the boy was now a man, he had played his emotions off so easily for the sake of his pregnant mother; for the sake of raising his little brother. Why did some impure, malicious villain always have to ruin a life he was loving? He had his father by his side for a mere three years, discovering his hidden strength through his love, before Cell ruined it.

Or perhaps, he had ruined it himself by not killing the monster when he had a chance.

He teen fought against the tears that wanted so badly to escape while feeling the tug of who had to be Supreme Kai on his sleeve to snap him out of his reverie. Now, Gohan's father was back on Earth, back home. Twenty four hours could never be enough, but whatever he could get with his father was perfect. Once more, it had to be ruined.

They ruined a lot of things.

"Release it Gohan! Release Everything! Remember all the pain he's caused...the people he's hurt...NOW MAKE THAT YOUR POWER!"

Gohan flash his eyes opened, narrowing his eyes on Babidi while letting out a violent scream that caused the wizard to stumble back. Supreme Kai tilted his head in concern, and touched the teen's sleeve once to calm him down. "What is it, Gohan!?"

"Babidi," Gohan snarled, while the wizard regained his composure next to the delighted Buu and smirked wickedly. "I'm going to kill him before he does any more harm."

Supreme Kai's eyes widened, realizing the usual gentle spirit was serious. "Gohan, no! Only Babidi can reseal Buu. If we kill him, the monster can't be put away by anyone else! He' stronger than Vegeta, stronger than your father! He will kill you and everyone you love!"

A horrible headache began to form in the teenager's mind, fighting with the rights and wrongs of the options he was left with. Although his grandfather had given the Shin-jin a hard time, Gohan trusted Supreme Kai.

That just made his heart drop to his stomach and shatter into a million pieces.

If Majin Buu was stronger than his father and Vegeta, what chance is there?

"Kill them! Kill them!" Babidi commanded, and Gohan's eyes widened as the pink being began skipping his way towards him and smirking. Instinctively, the teen grabbed Supreme Kai by the wrist and took off into the air.

"Don't worry," Gohan spoke as calmly as he could, although he was certain death was reaching its stubby pink hand his way. "I'm pretty confident in my speed." Even if Majin Buu was tougher than the strongest people he knew, Gohan figured that sending the creature on a wild goose chase would surely give his father and Vegeta some time to end their fight and stop him.

Casually glancing behind his shoulder, Gohan felt relief wash over him. "Nothing behind us yet!" He noticed the widened, frightened eyes of Supreme Kai and blinked. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"GOHAN! IN FRONT OF YOU!"

"Huh!?" The teen turned his attention to the front, coming to an immediate halt when he saw Majin Buu suddenly right before him, sticking his tongue out and giggling. Gohan's eyes matched the terror in Supreme Kai's, and he was at a loss of words and movement.

Buu raised a yellow gloved fist high in the air. "You drop dead!"

"You drop dead, fat ass!"

Majin Buu froze where he stood, and the trio in the sky all glanced upwards to see a bizarre looking figure. Coming in closer away from the glare of the sun, Gohan raised a blonde eyebrow upon seeing the messy-hair. "G-Grandpa? Is that you?"

Supreme Kai's eye twitched when Bardock came into full view; only, it wasn't quite... Bardock. He had the skin of a Namekian, with antennas to boot. Once his eyes scanned the outfit, he knew right away what had happened. "It is your grandfather, Gohan, but not quite the same! He has fused with Piccolo!"

"Fused?" Gohan blinked his icy green eyes, more confused than ever and slightly creeped out by his grandfather's new look. "What does that mean?"

Buu scowled, noticing that the attention wasn't on him anymore. His glare hardened on the newcomer, taking him in and sizing him up. He clapped his yellow gloved hands excitedly. "Ugly man make fun of Buu! Buu kill ugly man!" Buu then turned his attention to Gohan. "But you drop dead first!" As he brought down his meaty fist, Bardiccolo struck his leg out quicker than Buu could ax-hammer the teen, causing a large hole on the demon's face while Gohan and Supreme Kai gasped loudly.

While Buu was momentarily frozen from shock by the ugly man nearly impaling his face with his boot, Bardiccolo motioned for Gohan and Supreme Kai to make their escape. "Hurry! I'll hold him off until your father gets here!"

"No, Gramps! Er, and Piccolo! Gramps and Piccolo!" Gohan exasperated, yanking Supreme Kai's wrist closer to him while the poor Shin-jin winced from the pain. "You could get killed, and I'm not losing the both of you!"

Bardiccolo looked at the young prodigy, both halves of him having an overwhelming amount of pride for how far he has come. For Piccolo, he was ready to see his former pupil and greatest friend show what he's made of after all these years. For Bardock, he didn't wish to fight his grandson anymore. He wanted to fight with him. "Then join me- Oh, shit."

The two were busy conversating that they hadn't noticed Supreme Kai being tossed around like rag doll. Gohan rolled his eyes, knowing the Bardock in Bardiccolo had noticed but allowed it to happen. The teen surprised Buu by kicking him in the same Bardiccolo had done earlier, causing him to let go of Supreme Kai who faltered by the Saiyamekian's side. The Piccolo in him reached a hand out for him to grab onto. "Are you alright?"

Blood trickled down the Shin-jin's face, but he managed a smirk. "Never better."

"What!?"

The duo looked over at Gohan, who was backing away slightly from Majin Buu as he blew his cheeks back up to their normal bloated size; showing no sign of injury whatsoever. The teen flew back to Bardiccolo's side and sweatdropped. "Uh, any more ideas besides kicking?"

"Masenko?"

"Super Masenko."

Supreme Kai raised an eyebrow as the two warriors raised both hands above their heads with their palms facing Majin Buu. Bardiccolo and Gohan thrust their hands forwards. "MASENKOOOO...HAAAAAAA!" A blinding, powerful yellow light of energy came firing out of their palms, sending Majin Buu to the ground. Supreme Kai's eyes continued to widened as the beam never seemed to stop; becoming more powerful by each second.

Once it was over, the three looked down at the crater themselves and Majin Buu had created. To their disbelief, Majin Buu had survived with only a few pieces of pink fat missing from his body. Quickly sucking the parts back into himself, he pounded his fists together. "Mean men hurt Buu! Mean men must die!"

Bardiccolo snarled, placing his cupped green hands on his side. Looking over at him, Gohan managed to nod through his shock and got into the same position. "Kaaaaaameeeeehaaaaaameeeeee... HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Supreme Kai closed his eyes as yet another blinding and powerful light emerged from their hands. As shocking as their power was, the Shin-jin knew it wasn't enough to beat the diabolical creation. He damned himself for allowing it to haunt the Earth.

"Do you see him?" Gohan panted, peering down at the crater.

"No," Bardiccolo shook his head. "But-"

Majin Buu suddenly appeared before them, smiling wickedly. Without warning, Bardiccolo screamed as Buu fired a Vaporize blast that sent Gohan flying far and fast. "You bastard!" Bardiccolo snarled, trying to prepare a mixture of the Kamehameha and the Masenko. He began to to yell violently, and Supreme Kai could actually feel his pain, for it wasn't only a grandfather inside this creation, but a mentor and father-figure as well. "I'm going to kill you-"

"Oh, no!" Supreme Kai panicked, watching as Bardiccolo was once again Bardock and Piccolo, unfused and exchanging 'oh-shit' looks with each other. Upon seeing this, Buu cheered wildly once more. This time, the Saiyan was able to pick up when his next energy blast was about to hit and he quickly knocked Piccolo away. "Take the boys and Krillin to the lookout, NOW!"

Piccolo froze for a second as he saw the blast forming in Buu's hand, not wanting to leave the scar-faced Saiyan behind. "Bardock-"

"GO!"

The Namek nodded, taking off as fast as he had shown up to get the brats and Krillin out of harm's way. Bardock was able to see Piccolo escaping before getting hit by Buu's strong energy himself, feeling his body becoming increasingly weak as he started flying towards the forest region. Rows and rows of trees flashed through his eyes, and off the distance he could see the body of Shin flying in a direction not too far from his. The Saiyan cringed, feeling like the Supreme Kai was already dead.

Before his eyes couldn't stay open any longer, he could also see another figure in the sky talking to Majin Buu. It was hard to tell who or what exactly it was, but it made Bardock's chest hurt. The Saiyan plummeted down, skidding against the ground like a pebble tossed across a lake. He could feel his own energy draining, but the feeling of someone else's close by near extinction gave him enough strength to stand and walk towards it.

Able to glint through one eye, the same side his scar was on, Bardock sucked in his breath when he saw who it was.

"Gohan," he coughed out, dropping to his knees and crawling to his unconscious grandson. Bardock painfully propped himself up on the side of his body, pulling Gohan close to his chest like he did months ago with Goten in their safe home on Mount Paozu. He rested his forehead against Gohan's, holding onto him tightly while praying for that small, occasional beating of his grandson's heart to continue even if his wasn't. Using the last of his strength, Bardock breathed out. "You absolutely have to stay alive..."

Until his world turned black, Bardock saw an image of Gohan wearing Goku's gi.

Hope is a beautiful thing, Bardock. Hold onto it.


	17. A Son's Revenge

The Namek had to unscramble his thoughts and calm his nerves while he flew through the barren wastelands. The image of Bardock standing up to Majin Buu's blast and giving him the opportunity to escape just couldn't escape him. Clenching his green hand into a fist so tight that it caused him to bleed, Piccolo cursed under his breath for not doing a damn thing to save the lives of Bardock and Supreme Kai... And especially Gohan, all of whom he was quite sure were dead, no longer detected a single amount of ki from any of them.

"I'll get them out of here," Piccolo's eyes narrowed, lowering himself to the ground and scanning the area to detect the boys and Krillin. "I promise you that, my friend. They will stay alive."

Piccolo landed in front of the large cliff where the sound of small voices annoyingly repeating "fusion-ha" over and over again caused his ears to perk up. When he made his way around the mixture of dirt and grass clump, Goten's eyes widened in surprise and he froze mid 'sion'. Realizing that this green man was in fact the real green man and not a combo of his grandfather, the child clapped his hand's excitedly. "Hi, Mr. Piccolo! Where's-"

"No time for this," Piccolo raised a hand to silence them, and the boys gulped simultaneously immediately recognizing the weapon of choice that had knocked them on their asses earlier. Krillin scratched the back of his head, getting off him bottom to stand up and face the intense looking Namek. "We need to head to the lookout, now."

Krillin raised an eyebrow. "What's going on, Piccolo?" He suddenly frowned, realizing Bardock nor Gohan wasn't with him. "What happened!?"

Piccolo remained silent for a moment, studying the inquisitive eyes of the children and human he had unknowingly become friends with. How was he suppose to tell them about the deaths of people who meant the world to them? He opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it when he sensed an outrageous power that kept raising higher and higher off in the distance. "Vegeta!"

Trunks' ears perked up at the mention of his father, now feeling his energy all around him. The four peered over the cliff to see Vegeta standing face to face with Majin Buu, and the son of the prince widened his mother's inherited blue orbs. "Wow," the eyes glimmered over with excitement and pride. "My dad... He's so strong!"

Piccolo managed to look away from the fight about to begin to the child to the left side of him. He frowned, knowing the prince was in fact the strongest Saiyan alive but surely couldn't beat this monstrosity without the strongest Saiyan period. The Namek finally placed his attention back to where Vegeta, Buu, and their controller were standing.

What the hell happened to Goku!?

"Wow," Krillin gasped, taking in the sight of Vegeta revealing his full power. "I can't believe it! Maybe... Maybe he's all we need to stop this guy!"

"Told you my dad was the strongest," Trunks sneered, turning his nose up Goten who pouted in return. "Your dad was probably too scared and is hiding out somewhere until my dad gets the job done!" The boy was about to continue, but stopped when he noticed his friend wasn't retorting back in his usual manner; the way the children always teased each other. "Uh... Goten?"

The messy-haired boy on the side of him, the very last in a line consisting of Krillin, Piccolo, Trunks, and himself respectively, stared down at his trembling hands without saying a word. He wasn't sure why, but Goten had a terrible feeling in the bottom of his stomach. His brother, grandfather, and father weren't there. Truly, Gohan and Bardock wouldn't let any harm come his seven-year-old way - and from what they've said about his dad, he would do the same. But where were they? Why wasn't he sensing them anywhere but inside his increasingly beating heart?

Trunks was about to shake his friend out of wherever his mind was, when the voice of his father echoed through his ears. He immediately turned his attention back to where the Super Saiyan was pointing a deadly finger at the pissed off Buu. "Alright ugly," he heard him say. "Your time has come. You too, Babidi! This ends here and now!"

A large grin couldn't be contained when he saw his father begin to seemingly give Majin Buu the beating of his life. As the steam-blowing Buu charged towards Vegeta, the prince sent a driving fist straight into his jaw twice, followed by a round house kick to the back of the head which caused the monster's eyes to nearly bulge out of his sockets. The struck-out leg caused the pink creation to face-plant on the ground, skidding away from his attacker a few feet.

Babidi cried out while Piccolo's eyes widened, both thinking perhaps there was a chance that Majin Vegeta could defeat and kill Majin Buu.

Trunks raised a tiny, orange wrist-banded fist in the air. "Yay, yay!" He cheered wildly, hoping his father could hear him. "You got him right where you want him, Dad! Now finish him!" Krillin observed the happy son for a second, sudden memories of his daughter cheering him on in the same way when he was training for the tournament. He shook his head, but a smile remained on his face.

"Yeah, go get that blob, Vegeta!"

Buu was now back on his feet, angrier than ever. His eyes widened in surprise when Vegeta was directly in front of him, earning another sharp kick and strong elbow to the face. As quickly as he had gotten up, the pink demon was now back on the ground. Vegeta chuckled darkly, not giving Buu another chance to get himself up again. He began kicking the motionless Buu repeatedly, and Piccolo shook his head.

This is amazing... His energy. I haven't sensed something like this since... Since Gohan fought Cell! He was able to take down that monster... Surely Vegeta could do the same. He's our only hope. If he fails... No. Vegeta, you mustn't fail! Unless Goku reappears, this whole world, our entire lives, depend on you!

Majin Vegeta rolled his eyes, beginning to get a bit bored of this fight dragging on. The Buu character was absolutely nothing Supreme Kai had made him out to be. He finally stepped back, landing on his feet a good fighting distance away from Buu. He raised a blonde eyebrow as the pink blob jumped to his feet and giggled in delight, puffing out the indents in his body that Vegeta had created. Once Buu was back to his normal self, Babidi cheered while Vegeta snarled.

While Buu continued to laugh in amusement, Vegeta began to charge up once more. His large muscles pulsated, raising his gloved index finger, middle finger, and thumb forward on his right hand. Electricity and a golden aura formed around him while he continued to charge his Final Impact.

"Get him, Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!"

A powerful bolt of energy was fired through the Saiyan's hand, and Buu let out a blood curdling scream as the Final Impact blasted a hole through his stomach. Vegeta chuckled darkly while watching Majin Buu's smoking body land face forward on the ground. Babidi fell to his knees, crying out in misery for his beloved creature.

"Yay, Dad!" Trunks beamed, waving his little fist in the air until he froze at what happened next. "...Huh?"

Vegeta gasped as Majin Buu rose to his feet with a scowl on his face. The creature sucked in his breath and then let it go, causing the hole in his stomach to cover up and return to his normal state. He smirked at Vegeta, waggling a stubby finger. "Nah uh! Buu no drop dead!"

"What is he?" Vegeta's eye twitched. "Immortal?"

Buu crossed his arms over his chest, beginning to charge a vibrating pink energy sphere around his body while Vegeta's icy green eyes began to widen. He looked up with an evil scowl on his face. "BIG POWER!"

Suddenly, an explosion of pink energy began destroying everything caught in its path. The four onlookers were caught in Buu's Angry Explosion, being tossed against the numerous rocks and rubble that was once a mighty cliff. Krillin opened his eyes slowly, glancing up at a bright blue sky to hear Piccolo speak from a not too far distance. "Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah," the former monk mumbled. "Never better." He got to his feet, brushing himself off and seeing Piccolo land gently by his side. They turned their attention to the left of them to see Trunks levitating without a scratch on him, landing on top of the rock he had pushed out of his way. The boy scratched the back of his head, seeing two out of the three he had been observing with.

"Where's Goten!?"

As soon as he said, the rocks beneath Krillin's feet began to vibrate and the human quickly got out of the way. The messy hair was seen first, followed by the excited eyes of the child and a familiar laughter to match until his entire body appeared. "That was crazy!"

Piccolo nodded, and the four turned their attention back to the fight scene. Once the dust had cleared, the sighed in relief to see Vegeta was alright.

Well, sort of.

He was covered in a ton of blood, many bruises on his body that were not there before.

The four watched with nervous eyes as Buu sent numerous, less larger Angry Explosion attacks at the prince who managed to dodge every one. Piccolo watched in disgust as Buu removed a chunk of his pink flab, whipping it around like a lasso. He tried warning him but it was far too late - Vegeta was wrapped up tightly in Buu's skin.

Trunks screamed out in anger as he watched his father, helplessly trapped, getting pounded on by Majin Buu who just giggled in delight at his pain. Piccolo glanced down to see the boy turning into a Super Saiyan; unable to control his rage. "Trunks, you need to stay out of the way!"

But the boy could only see red. Ignoring Piccolo's warning, Trunks charged towards his father and the being he wanted to kill at the moment. Goten's eyes furrowed and he clenched his little fists together. "Wait up, Trunks!" Turning into a Super Saiyan as well, the boy took off after his friend leaving the Namek godfather to curse under his breath.

Trunks already had his leg struck out, descending at a fast and powerful speed towards the head of the monster causing his father to yell out in pain. The boy's foot connected with the side of Buu's head, sending the Majin flying through three cliffs. Trunks landed on his promptly, rushing to his dad's side to see Goten already trying to pry Buu's skin off of him.

"Oh, Dad!" Trunks frowned, and the two began unraveling his unconscious body. Once Vegeta's body was free, his son placed his hands on his chest and pushed him with tears beginning to brim. "Please wake up, Dad, wake up!"

The boys held in their tears as they both began to shove him awake. They giggled happily when they saw him begin to rise up, but not without wincing. As Vegeta began to sit up, Trunks held him by his shoulder for support and smiled sweetly, relieved that his father was alive. He was about to speak to him when he suddenly snarled, and Trunks quickly backed up.

"Where's Majin Buu!?" He got to his feet, blood dripping down his chin as he looked around furiously. He felt like his once non-existent heart was going to shatter into a million pieces when he sensed the being was still alive.

Babidi chuckled darkly from a distance, seeing that Vegeta was still alive. "That fool! Majin Buu is invicible! Now, he's going to eat them all up - those two brats included!"

"That's not going to happen."

The wizard whipped around quickly, trembling in fear when he saw a giant green being towering above him. He began to set up a barrier for himself, but Piccolo wasn't having it. All the frustation the little insect had caused him, all the deaths he was responsible for, the Namek had had enough. Without any more thought, Piccolo struck out his arm and placed it on Babidi's hip, then proceeded to slice the wizard in half.

There, Bardock. At least that'll keep them alive for you a bit longer.

The pieces of the evil wizard landed a deep crater beneath them, while the Namek turned his attention back to where Vegeta and the boys were. Piccolo blinked in shock at what he saw.

Vegeta was holding Trunks against him tightly, almost lovingly it seemed. There was an aching in Piccolo's heart when he recognized the look on the father's face all too well; it was the same look Goku gave Gohan before he sacrificed himself. He watched as Trunks blushed at the gesture, and then gaped up at him as Vegeta proceeded to tell him that he was proud of him.

Then, Trunks was unconscious on the ground while Goten pounded on Vegeta's legs wildly, crying about how fathers don't hurt their sons until he received the same punishment. The boys were both in their base forms on the ground beside Vegeta's feet while Piccolo landed in front of them.

"I think I understand, Vegeta."

The two adults watched as Majin Buu came dancing towards them. "Which one of you hit Buu!?"

Without taking his eyes off the pink fiend, Vegeta spoke to the Namek. "Bring the boys to safety, get them far away from here as possible."

Piccolo watched with hardened orbs as he realized the prince wasn't going to change his mind. He walked past Vegeta, bending down to gather Goten in his left arm and Trunks in his right. He glanced over his shoulder at the long time rival, a feeling of respect forming inside of him. "You're going to die."

Vegeta remained silent for awhile, feeling the breeze brush against him as he closed his eyes. "Will I meet that clown in Other World?"

Piccolo's eyes narrowed, knowing that the Saiyan knew the truth but just wanted clarity. "Goku spent his entire life protecting others, living selflessly . When he died, he was allowed special privileges that you will not receive. You did not live the same way. When you die, you'll go to Hell."

The prince chuckled and shrugged, not bothering to look at the Namek as he spoke. "So be it."

"So be it."

Without another look at Vegeta, Piccolo took off into the sky and motioned for Krillin down below to follow him. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure the human was following suit, and the four began making their way to the lookout.

What the Namek hadn't counted on was the eyes of a certain lavender-haired boy blinking open slowly just in time to see his father beginning to blow himself up. His scream, the scream that was caused by the very same rage that would be the catalyst of Trunks' mission to be the reason Majin Buu suffered a painful death, echoed throughout the sky as he struggled to get out of Piccolo's grip but to no avail. He told the boy that it was too late; that Vegeta had killed Buu and they needed to escape the remnants of the seemingly everlasting explosion.

But Trunks knew the truth.

The laughter of Majin Buu cut through their ears like a knife, and Piccolo held on tightly to the weeping Trunks as he silently felt the same pain. They remained silent on their way to the lookout, where Piccolo would carry on Bardock's wish as the last hope of the world were the two in the Namek's arms.

xxxxxx

Bardock's ears picked up the sound of leaves crunching beneath the foot of some woodland creature. He was unable to open his eyes, struggled to breath, but yet could still hear perfectly.

And smell.

His lips curled up in disgust as he realized a deer was licking his ear. The poor Saiyan was too weak to raise an arm to fend off the creature; having used the last of his energy to place them around his near lifeless grandson. All Bardock could do was groan and hope the deer would leave.

It remained, constantly licking his ear.

I thought you liked that!

Shut up, you pain in my ass!

Ah, so you are still alive! Bardock couldn't see it, but he just knew Gine was winking down at him with her signature smile. The snorting of King Kai could be heard as well, seemingly enjoying the animal's display of affection for the fallen Saiyan. I have a few things to tell you, so that's great.

Bardock took in a ragged breath; the scent of dear and his grandson filling his nostrils as he did so. Tell me.

Well, the boys are safely at the lookout. Our daughter-in-law and future granddaughter-in-law are with them; I guess they used those Dragon Ball dealios to bring back everyone that died today. So... I guess that explains why you're still breathing.

The Saiyan smiled to himself, pulling Gohan in tighter to him and feeling relieved when he could sense his heartbeat. Even if it was only slightly. Kakarot? Vegeta?

He could hear Gine letting out a sigh, knowing that she was nervous about something. Kakarot is the reason they're up with there with them, used that technique of his after they summoned the dragon so they could save some wishes. They're just waiting on you, mister man! Everyone thinks you and our grandson are dead!

Vegeta.

The long moment of silence caused Bardock to become uneasy. The figure he had seen in the sky before crashing into the forest was the prince. It just had to be. There was no way it could have been anyone else with a power like that. He held in his breath as his wife began to speak. He sacrificed himself against the hideous creature... But...

It was all in vain. Bardock finished for her, letting out his breath finally. He closed his eyes tighter, cursing under his breath weakly for not being able to do anything for Prince Vegeta. True, he wasn't his biggest fan. But he was one of the only ones left that had seen the prince as an infant. Even as an infant, his power level was strong and impressed all the other Saiyans. It was awful to admit, but because of the infant Vegeta, Bardock had high expectations for Kakarot. Raditz had already proven himself worthy as a baby; but in the end none of that matter at all. Kakarot was born weak, but grew up to be worthy of legend... Far exceeding anyone Bardock had ever known.

Then there was the prince.

The arrogant, spoiled prince who got everything handed to him prior to Frieza's reign but never once excepted it. He worked for what he wanted; proving time and time again that he was ruthless and determined to outclass any and every one. But yet, it was the very thing Bardock admired about the prince. There was absolutely nobody else in the universe that could take a beating like that guy; nobody else that could allow himself to become completely mind controlled by someone wicked yet do whatever the fuck he wanted.

Being so strong and ruthless came with a price, and for some reason it made Bardock's chest ache in sadness for Vegeta's life. He could only hope that perhaps the overseer of the Other World would grant him some sort of privilege like he had for Gine...

"Shit," he managed to gasp out, feeling his head begin to reel in pain. "Right now?"

Bardock? What's wrong?

Gine's concerns were blocked out by the sounds and image of an unpopulated Earth. There was absolutely no sign of life; save an afro-haired man, a teenage Namek, and Bardock himself. The pink creature, the Buu that Bardock had seen in his vision that killed Chi-Chi, was standing before him face to face with a sinister smile while Hercule Satan, Bee, and Dende cowered behind the Saiyan warrior.

Beyond Super Buu, Bardock was able to get a glimpse of Piccolo, Goten, and Trunks who were badly injured but standing their ground.

"So," Buu chuckled darkly, sounding like an actual man. "Which one of you do I eat first?" Before the pink menace could take another step towards the snarling Bardock, a figure was fast approaching them with an unreal power. All eyes, including Buu, were on him.

"Is that," Piccolo blinked, taking sight of the orange gi before anything else. "Goku?"

"NO!" Goten cheered wildly. "IT'S MY BROTHER!"

"Kibito, my mind is set. We will revive him, and take him back to our world."

Bardock slowly opened one eye amidst his pounding headache when he heard the voice of Supreme Kai standing over him. He burrowed his chin into Gohan's hair, trying to make sense of what was going on.

"But Master-"

"Enough, Kibito. There is great potential in Gohan. We need to do this."

"Alright, sir. Fine. But do we have to revive the grumpy one?"

"Oh, fuck you."

Supreme Kai and Kibito glanced down with wide eyes at the grandfather who had Gohan tightly in his grip. Supreme Kai began chuckling nervously, not realizing Bardock was still conscious. "I'm sorry about him. Yes, we'll revive you both immediately."

"Gohan first," the Saiyan muttered and managed to roll himself off of his grandson and onto his back. He opened both of his eyes, glaring at Kibito. "I'll be watching you."

Kibito gulped, but bent down and placed his hands above Gohan in the same way he did at The World Martial Arts Tournament. Slowly but surely, the teen blinked his eyes open and gasped for air before remembering what had happened. He quickly jumped to feet, looking at his surroundings and feeling relief wash over him when he realized Supreme Kai and Bardock had survived.

As Kibito began healing Bardock, the scar-faced grandfather began to explain what had happened to the best of his ability. Gohan lowered his head when he spoke of Vegeta's sacrifice. "Gosh... I feel so... guilty, ya know? I probably could have prevented this all from happening!" Bardock rose to his feet when he noticed Gohan's hands were clenched into fists. He placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

"Don't worry about it, kid. You did everything right," he glared at Supreme Kai who turned as red as Kibito in embarrassment. "It's somebody else that could've stopped this all."

"I made my mistakes, I admit it," Supreme Kai sighed, looking into Gohan's eyes with determination. "But I know how to make things right again. Gohan, I wish for you to come to my world and train with the Z Sword!"

Gohan blinked, exchanging looks of 'what-the-fuck' with his grandfather. "Z Sword? What's that?"

"I'll explain it then," Supreme Kai nodded, extending a hand towards Gohan. "Right now, we need to go. There is no telling where Majin Buu is now, he could be searching for us."

Gohan stared at the shin-jin's hand for a minute before looking over at his uninterested grandfather and then back at the Supreme Kai. "What about my grandpa?"

Bardock was already preparing himself for take off, winking at his grandson before doing so. "I don't think so, kid. I can sense where two certain brats are and I need to start training them. Besides..." He gave a small smile, looking up at the sky. "You're destined for this."


	18. Out of Time

"What is it, Goku?"

The messy-haired hero, now fully healed thanks to Dende, had his large arms placed on top of his wife's rather dainty shoulders. He was searching her eyes, trying to find the best way to bring her, and Bulma, the tragic news. Surely, Yamcha and Roshi had already known. They couldn't sense the ki of Gohan or Vegeta anywhere. Goku smiled sadly, and pulled Chi-Chi into him.

"I'm so sorry," he was whispering into her hair, but it was so quiet on the lookout that everyone heard. "Bardock, Gohan, and Vegeta tried saving us all but..." He stopped when Chi-Chi had pulled herself back from his chest to look into his eyes with a quivering lip.

"No," her eyes were beginning to brim with tears and she shook her head violently. "No!"

While the sounds of Chi-Chi's and Bulma's sobs filled the lookout, Videl stood by the pillars and looked down at her trembling hands. He just had to be lying. He had to. Bardock had told her that when you care so much about a person, you can feel that they're alive. And gosh, did she feel it. The girl clumsily ran towards the couple; exhausted and a bit drained from the Dragon Ball hunting and the fact that a giant dragon had stared into her soul. "You're wrong!" she panted, and Goku glanced over his shoulder while Chi-Chi cried into his chest. "I know you're wrong! Gohan is alive! And so is Bardock! Can't you feel it!?"

Goku smiled sadly, recognizing the look in her eyes all too well. He had seen Chi-Chi give it to him many times. Not wanting to let go of his weeping and broken wife, he tightened his grip and kept his eyes on the girl. "You love my son, don't you?"

Videl turned a deep crimson color while smiling sheepishly down at her boots. She hadn't realized it before, but perhaps that feeling in her stomach whenever Gohan was near was something much deeper than she thought. "Y-Yes. I do," she glanced up at him now, crying softly but with a sweet smile on her face. "I really do."

Goku returned the smile. "You're a strong girl, Videl. Thank you," his turned himself and Chi-Chi around when Bulma's cries were becoming louder. He glanced down to see her on the tiles; Krillin and Yamcha giving her comforting rubs on her shoulder blades. His black eyebrows furrowed a bit when he noticed Trunks wasn't beside her. He got to the lookout when it was only Piccolo, the boys, and Krillin there. Goten was still unconscious, but Trunks had distanced himself from everyone and was still doing so. "Bulma?"

The blue-haired woman glanced up at her best friend; her cheeks red and tear-stained. "G-Goku?"

The Saiyan felt his heart ache slightly at the way her voice sounded. It was so weak, so frail and broken. He was about to open his mouth to speak, but closed it when he sensed where Trunks was. The boy was up on the balcony, hiding behind the pillars with his knees crossed to his chest. Goku turned his attention to Ox, who was silently crying himself over the death of his grandson. "Hey?" He asked his father-in-law softly, gently prying Chi-Chi off him and handing her over. "Can you comfort her for a few seconds? There's something I need to do."

Ox nodded and extended her large arms out for his daughter to fall into. The sobbing woman crashed into her father's chest, her tears soaking into his button-up shirt while he held her tightly and as lovingly as possible. Once Goku was sure she was settled in his hold, he flew up onto the balcony and landed directly in front of Trunks. The lavender-haired boy glanced up from his knees, glared at the Saiyan for a second, and then lowered his head once more. "Go away," he mumbled into them. "Just go away."

Goku lowered himself on one knee to be closer in height to the child, but kept his arms to himself and a good distance between them so Trunks had his space. "I don't want to go away, Trunks. I'm here for you. What can I do?"

Trunks quickly got to his feet, slightly surprising Goku who remained on his knee. "What I want," he snapped and raised a tiny fist. "Is for you to be dead and my dad to be here!"

The Saiyan chuckled nervously and pointed up at his halo. "Well, I kinda am dead..."

"Shut up!" The boy fumed, and sent a fist flying towards Goku's face. He growled when his best friend's father didn't budge one bit. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" He began punching him rapidly and wildly, hitting him blindly and wherever he could. A sad smile remained on Goku's face feeling his strong but tiny fists hit his shoulders, neck, and temple. He opened his arms wide, letting Vegeta's son know he was there for him and understood his pain.

The boy kept punching and angry tears were beginning to fall down his face and land on the tile. He froze with a fist extended outwards when he noticed what Goten's dad was doing. Trunks breathed heavily, feeling like steam was going to come out of his ears. "You're trying to hug me!? You!? The man who did nothing! Gohan died! Bardock died! My father died! And where were you!? I saw them all," his chest was heaving as tears kept falling. "Where were you!?"

Instead of speaking, Goku reached out further and began pulling the young boy into him. Surprisingly, Trunks didn't even resist. The boy collapsed onto the nape of Goku's neck, sniffling into it while he tried to calm himself down. The full blood Saiyan simply rubbed his back, waiting for the boy to speak. "Goku?"

"Yes, Trunks?"

Sniff. "I want to start training."

"Thank you," Goku smiled into his hair, grateful that the boy was just as strong and determined as Vegeta. "Thank you, Trunks. Once Goten wakes up, we'll start." The Saiyan felt Trunks remove his face and seemed to be looking at something behind him. Sure enough, Goku sensed someone there, too.

"But I don't want to train with you," Trunks spoke and began pointing a finger at the person behind Goku. "I want to train with him."

The Saiyan let go of Trunks, beginning to rise to his feet. Goku turned around and faced the being that Trunks was already looking at with determination in his eyes. The hero let out a heartwarming laugh, knowing who it was but wasn't sure to believe it. "Hey, Pops!"

Bardock chuckled darkly and gave the pair a two finger salute. "Shit, do I have a lot to tell you."

xxxxxx

"Yay! Yay! Yay!" Goten cheered wildly, and wrapped his little arms around his grandfather's legs. "You're okay! Gohan's okay! Daddy's okay!"

Bardock smirked and reached down to ruffle the child's similar hairstyle. After explaining about Gohan's trip to the World of the Kais, there was a much lighter and happier feeling in the air. Chi-Chi was jumping up and down, holding on tight to Goku's hands while doing so. Piccolo had a God-forsaken smile on his face while Videl couldn't contain her blinding grin as she stood beside two of Gohan's family members. "Yeah kid. We're all okay," he glanced over at where Vegeta's wife and son were, his smile quickly vanishing. "Well, almost all of us."

Videl followed his line of vision to see him staring at Trunks who was holding onto his mother. The two were down on the tiles together; Trunks sitting cross legged while Bulma had her head rested against his shoulder. Bardock gave Videl a knowing look, and she quickly tapped Goten's shoulder. "Hey, do you wanna play twenty questions!?"

"Ooh!" Goten's eyes widened and he quickly let go of his grandfather's leg. "That's my favorite game!"

Bardock listened to them rattle on as he began walking towards Vegeta's little family. He crossed his arms over his chest when Bulma and Trunks glanced up at him with inquisitive eyes. "I don't mean to sound like an asshole," he was mostly going to sound like an asshole. "But I don't understand all this crying. Can't you wish him back with that Dragon Ball shit?"

Trunks eyes widened as he looked excitedly as his mom. "Is that true!?"

Bulma spoke to her son, but didn't keep her sapphire blues off Bardock's narrowed orbs. "Can you go play with Goten for a bit, Trunks? I need to speak to Bardock."

The lavender-haired boy grumbled under his breath, but knew it was best to listen to his mother. He helped his mother get back on her feet as he did the same, and quickly hopped over to where Goten's questions were making Videl nearly rip her hair out. Making sure he was a good distance away, she bit her bottom lip. "I'm more than sure we can bring him back, but..." She glanced up at him and sighed. "Please don't think I'm horrible for saying this, but I feel like he needs some time to think about what he's done... All those people..."

Bardock reluctantly placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. Or to stop her from crying. He absolutely hated it when these earthwomen cried. Queens of the Harpies doing their ritual song and dance. "I think I understand. But you need to remember that he was being controlled-"

"Bullshit," Bulma snapped suddenly, jabbing a finger into Bardock's armor plated chest while he raised an eyebrow. At least now he was able to see why Vegeta had chosen her; they were extremely alike. "Don't tell me that! My husband was strong enough to fight that off, so don't give me that bullshit!"

The Saiyan pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a mixture of annoyance and guilt that Vegeta's wife knew the truth somehow. It didn't surprise him, really; Gine always figured things out.

Fucking wives.

He let out a deep sigh and raised his hands in defense. "Alright, alright. So what, you think your husband's a piece of shit or something?" He backed up slightly when Bulma raised a hand to slap him, but lowered it to her side with a smug look when she realized he shut his trap.

"Of course not. Like I said, I think it'll do him some good to be in Other World for awhile," she smiled sadly, glancing up at the sky as if she could somehow envision the land of the dead that way. "Maybe he'll come back stronger than ever." When he didn't respond, Bulma tugged at his arm for his attention. Once he looked at her, her smile grew a bit. "What do you think of my husband, any way? Do you think he's a bad man, or what? You didn't seem too fond of him those times you came to my house."

Bardock smirked, remembering the first time he encountered the woman on the staircase. He never thought he'd be standing here having an actual conversation with her, especially not over her dead husband. "Prince Vegeta has his flaws, but he's not a bad man. Not anymore."

Bulma tilted her head, a little intrigued now realizing that Bardock was around when Vegeta was just a child on the planet they use to call home. "What was he like, as an actual prince for your people? I've got him to open up about a few things, but... I don't know. I guess I would just like to hear about him from someone else's perspective."

The scar-faced Saiyan chuckled darkly for a moment, thinking of what he could tell Vegeta's wife about his past without mentally scarring her for life. To be perfectly honest, he had only encountered the prince on rare occasions. Most of the stuff he knew came from third parties. He rubbed his chin, deciding to pick a memory that would make Bulma happy. After all, Bardock wasn't that much of an asshole. "Do you remember my oldest son?"

The woman shuddered, remembering the long-haired monstrosity that ruined a peaceful five years. Bulma decided to shake the negatives of Raditz off, remembering that if it hadn't been for him, Vegeta would've never came to Earth and nothing would be the same. Looking at the dire situation now, perhaps that was a great thing. But not when floods of memories with the spiky-haired Saiyan and their beautiful son ran through her. She wouldn't change a damn thing. "Yeah. I remember him. Long ass hair, mean."

Bardock laughed shortly once more, continuing his story while glancing up at the sky. "Yup. That's my Raditz. When he was ten years old, he was assigned to go on a mission with the prince. I remember feeling sorry for the bastard once my mate told me; see, even as a child your husband was ruthless and was striven for greatness beyond what was even capable for the king."

"Vegeta's father?" Bulma smiled when Bardock nodded. "Continue."

"Well, a few years before that day happened, Frieza was in a good mood and gave us a day off. I know, one fucking day. But I'll remember it forever," he shook his head and Bulma couldn't help but notice a genuine smile on his face while his mind brought him back to one of his sweetest memories. "I was eating some meat Gine chopped up in the butchery with Raditz when the prince happened to stroll in. Keep in mind, she was pregnant with Kakarot at this time. My wife was never the one to have common sense or take shit from anyone, so when the prince demanded her to feed him immediately, she threatened to cut off his tail for protein. He assumed she ate all of the meat because she was so fat at the time, and was about to blast her when King Vegeta came in."

Bulma blinked a few times, taking it all in. Once she did, she smacked Bardock's chest. "You jerk! You didn't do anything to stop him from hurting your wife!?"

Bardock shrugged and continued. "King Vegeta came in and smacked him upside his head. It was a move that has become a personal favorite of mine; I used it against your kid-" he caught himself when Bulma growled. "Anyway, the king really liked Gine for some reason so he demanded his son apologize to her. After struggling for the words, he finally did it. The poor kid was so red in the face, I swear he wanted to murder Raditz and me for laughing so fucking hard. So, I guess you could say the only person your husband really respected as a child was his father."

Bulma placed her hand on her beating heart, trying to calm it down as she smiled at the sky alongside Bardock. "So, he must have really loved his dad, huh?"

The Saiyan shook his head and snorted. "That feeling doesn't exist. The heart's only purpose is pump blood, and that's all."

"Are you sure about that?"

No.

"Positive."

The blue-haired woman rolled her eyes, looking at Goku's father up and down. "Well, I think that's a bunch of bull. I bet you love Goku, Raditz, your wife, and your new family here on Earth. Which includes all of us. And I guarantee we all love you, too."

Bardock didn't look at her in fear that the awful feeling in his chest would increase if he did. Ignoring her ridiculous statements, he kept his eyes on the moving clouds and spoke. "I bet the prince didn't go to Hell."

"You really think so?" Bulma tilted her head once more, sounding hopeful. "Where do you think he is, then?"

The Saiyan shrugged his large shoulders. "Somewhere in the middle, I suppose. His heart has changed a lot."

"Oh," Bulma winked. "His heart, huh? I thought you said it only pumps blood."

"Shut the hell up." Once she saw the blush on his face, Bulma felt satisfied and looked up the clouds with him.

The two remained quiet for a moment, listening to the sound of the children driving Videl crazy. 18 was teasingly fighting Krillin, just so her terrified daughter would giggle once again. Piccolo and Dende were overseeing Earth from the edge of the lookout, both of their hands clenched into tight fists as they watched Buu, under Babidi's control, turning innocent humans into chocolate and other sweets to devour. Piccolo shot Bardock a warning glance, and the Saiyan knew there wasn't anymore time for chit-chat.

"You ready, Dad?" Goku came walking up to the silent duo, his wife following suit and looking a bit more stronger and a lot happier than before. Bardock took note of this, and raised an eyebrow.

"What the hell got into you?" His lips suddenly twisted up in disgust as he pointed an accusing finger at the couple. "Oh, are you guys fucking kidding me!? Really!? Your home has a chance of being nonexistent and you two were knocking boots!?"

Chi-Chi was fuming red, about to yell at idiot father-in-law when Goku's confused voice powered over hers. "Knocking boots?" He looked down at his navy ones to make sure they were still on his feet. He looked down at his wife and scratched the back of his head. "Chi-Chi, were you knocking my boots?"

The poor wife tried once more to speak but Bulma's squeal halted it. "Where would you two have done it, the hyperbolic time chamber!?"

Bardock was the confused one this time. He glanced down at Vegeta's short wife. "Hyperbolic time chamber?"

"Yeah," Bulma nodded. "It's this place up here on the lookout where our guys trained for Cell. One year in there is equivalent to a day out here... Oh, God! A straight year of doing the deed!"

"Chi-Chi would be dead," Bardock mused, but his mind was actually on something else entirely; and for good reason. "Goten and Trunks could begin training in there. Get a good advantage before facing Majin Buu."

"What about the Hyperbolic Time Chamber!?" Goku pouted, upset that nobody was filling him in anything. "What deed?"

"WE WEREN'T DOING ANYTHING, YOU IDIOTS!" Chi-Chi screamed, and was about to say more when a creepy old voice rang through her ears. She looked around her, noticing the strange looks on their faces and knew she wasn't the only one. The group quickly joined up together in a giant circle, closing their eyes and focusing on what the voice had to say.

"You know, Trunks, I am very eager to meet you."

Piccolo kept his eyes closed but was snarling. "It's that damn Babidi!"

"Focus, Piccolo," Goku whispered calmly but his eyebrows were furrowed. "Focus."

The boy began trembling, holding his little fists tightly and sweating while one of the two people he hated continued speaking. "If you won't come to see me, I guess I'm going to have to go to where you live. It's a place called Capsule Corporation, and it's located in West City! I do hope you're there when I arrive. If you're not, your friends and family are going to have to pay the price!"

The voice had disappeared as quick as it had arrived, and the group opened their eyes to exchange concerned looks; especially the lavender-haired boy. He ran to Bardock's side, his soon to be trainer, and tugged on the material of his pants. "I can't let him go to my house! My grandparents are still there!"

Bulma turned desperately to Goku, tugging on his gi like her son was tugging on Bardock's pants. "They're going to be killed!"

"Don't worry!" Goku stressed. "We can just bring them back with the Dragon Balls."

"And everyone else in the city!? What about them!?"

"We can bring everyone back with the second wish!" Goku chuckled and patted Bulma's back. "Stop worrying so much, I-"

Piccolo crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes on the Saiyan. "That's impossible, Goku. We already used the first wish to bring back everyone that died at the tournament today, leaving us with only one more wish left to fix the damage that Buu has done."

The hero Saiyan laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Oh, yeah... That's right. Ooh!" He clapped his hands together, causing the boys to look at each other with sweatdrops on their foreheads. "I bet if we ask Shenron really nicely, he'll grant us another wish!"

"Wha..." Piccolo blinked, equally as sweatdrop-y as Goten and Trunks. "Well...I guess it wouldn't hurt to try."

"I bet that dragon wants to murder you all," Bardock muttered under his breath while Bulma slapped Goku's shoulder.

"Goku! If Majin Buu destroys West City, he'll destroy the Dragon Radar!"

The messy-haired Saiyan frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. "Hm. I guess that is a problem," his eyes wandered over to Trunks who was blinking at him. He smiled, knowing the strong son of Vegeta was up for it. "Trunks, listen up. I need you to go to Capsule Corps and get the radar. While you do that, I'll track down Majin Buu and Babidi and slow them down!"

Trunks raised a purple eyebrow. "Are you sure about that? Those guys will want to fight back. They're pretty tough."

Piccolo and Bardock smirked at the way the child resembled Vegeta so much at that moment. Goku smiled, enjoying Trunks' concern. "Well, you just let me worry about that. Now, hurry up, before they get ahead of you!"

Trunks quickly hugged his mom and did his secret handshake with Goten before running towards the edge of the lookout. He took a look back at the fallen hero with a halo, contemplating on whether or not he should allow the weak Saiyan to face Majin Buu alone. When he noticed Bardock was death glaring him, the child gulped and then shrugged it off.

"Oh, well. I guess he can handle it."

xxxxxxx

Kibito stood on the sidelines, pouting with his arms crossed over his chest like a petulant child as he watched Gohan trying to pull the Z-Sword from the rock. He discreetly glared at his master, upset that he had allowed an Earthling to come into their home. The Sacred World of the Kais was no place for a mere mortal like him! He was no god! He was no... kai! He was just an ordinary, weak-

The red being's eyes opened widely as the planet began to tremble. Once he realized the boy had turned into a Super Saiyan, he laughed loudly. "I'm afraid your Super Saiyan strength won't be enough-"

If Kibito was the one to curse, he would have done it right then and there.

He watched with a broken heart and helpless eyes as Gohan let out a mighty scream, his feet digging into the cliff where the Z-Sword was located and bolts of energy surrounded him. Not too long after, Gohan was rising into the sky. Along with him, was the sword.

"Yes, Gohan!" Supreme Kai cheered, watching as the half-Saiyan hero landed back on his feet with the tip of the sword placed on the grass. "You did it!" He smirked at his still gasping assistant. "It seems you underestimated our young friend, Kibito."

The red being just huffed in return, glancing away.

"How does it feel to hold the mighty Z-Sword!?" Supreme Kai asked with excited orbs.

Gohan, dressed freshly in his new outfit, narrowed his eyes on the tip of the sword. He bit his bottom lip in anticipation. "I dunno, let's find out!" He grunted and wheezed while trying to lift the sword into the air, only to find himself limbo-ing back due to its heaviness. While he was bent back to where is head almost touched the ground, he looked at the upside down Supreme Kai with a nervous smile. "Don't worry! I got it!" He was able to bring himself back upwards, but was trembling the entire time.

"Hey! I know how to beat Majin Buu with this thing! If I get him to hold it, he won't be able to go anywhere!"

Kibito stamped his foot onto the ground in frustration and growled. "How dare you make light of such a powerful weapon! This could be our only chance, you need to train with it, learn with it, and become stronger with it! How can that happen with you trembling like you are?!"

Gohan extended the upwards sword towards Kibito, smiling politely while doing so. "Here, why don't you train with it! It seems to be something you can handle more than me." The red being placed his large hands on the handle, feeling confident until Gohan removed his. Kibito stumbled backwards a few feet, and dropped the sword onto the ground almost immediately, throwing himself off balance so he was on his bottom and looking up at his master.

"How embarrassing..." Supreme Kai blinked.

Gohan opened his mouth to laugh, when all three started gasping at the same time. All the way in the Sacred World of the Kais, they were sensing something extremely powerful. "Do you feel that?" Gohan's eyes narrowed. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was my dad. But... But that's crazy!"

"...It is Goku."

Kibito looked at his master in complete shock. "That's impossible! Saiyan powers cannot be felt all the way over here!"

But the son knew. He looked down at his boots; at the Z-Sword on the ground. "It is my father... And I don't think that's a good thing."

xxxxxxxx

"What were you two doing, anyway?" Bardock asked, leaning against a pillar of the building on the lookout. Chi-Chi was directly across from him, brushing Goten's messy hair that would just remain so.

The woman glared up at him and sneered. "Not what you were accusing us of, jerk!" she sighed, continuing to brush Goten's hair while Videl casually walked up to them and took a seat on the white steps. "I was talking to him about what you told me at the tournament. About those visions."

Bardock's eyes nearly bulged out of his head, desperately hoping the boy and girl didn't hear that. Goten tilted his head in confusion, and threw his head back to look at his mother. "Mama, what are you talking about?"

"Yeah," Videl raised an eyebrow in Bardock's direction. "What is she talking about, Bardock?" She still hadn't forgotten about this whole giant ape business with his tail, either, so her suspicion was in full on alert mode.

The scar-faced one sighed heavily, in defeat, slamming his head against the pillar while the rest of the group came up to him. It reminded him so much of the Planet Plant civilians that adored him it made him cringe. Piccolo brought himself the closest to Bardock, also knowing about his psychic power. "I think it's about time you tell us everything you know, Bardock. Everything you have seen."

Goten stared at his grandfather with large eyes, and politely excused himself from his mother's lap. He skipped his way over to him, and wrapped his little arms around his legs. "Why are they talking about, Grandpa? What's going on?"

God dammit, not the kid.

His eye twitched as he brought out the same puppy dog eyes Gine had used on him multiple times to get her way. He muttered under his breath and bent down to lift the child up, holding him up with one arm as the child balanced himself on his biceps. He looked around at the numerous sets of eyes waiting patiently for him to begin. "Alright. But you all better fucking believe me."

Bardock started off with the vision of the skinnier, taller, and stronger version of Majin Buu coming to the lookout and killing Chi-Chi. Although it was just a retelling, Goten screamed out in horror at the vivid details. Since the others had heard Bardock mention this in the stands besides Piccolo, Dende, and Popo, everyone just nodded and exchanged looks with each other.

"So what you're saying is," Dende fiddled with his thumbs but tried remaining the strong minded guardian he knew he was. "This lookout isn't safe."

Bardock shrugged, making sure the crying Goten was secure in his grip. "It's the safest place you've got for now."

Although a bit shaken by the thought of the doom headed towards his beloved home, Mr. Popo simply nodded. "Continue, my friend. Continue with what you have seen."

He told them about the powerful being that Goten and Trunks would create when they fused. Bulma and Chi-Chi gasped, looking at each other with hopeful eyes that their sons might end up being the unlikely heroes to a rather grim story line. While describing Gotenks, Goten's eyes were wider than ever, imagining what it would be like to have that sort of power and team up with his best friend.

"Does the idea of that monster killing your mother ignite a fire inside you, kid?" Bardock spoke, noticing Goten was spacing out about something. "Does it push you to become ruthless like your Saiyan ancestry prophesies you to be?"

Goten stared into the orbs of his grandfather for a moment before feeling the fire begin to burn inside him. He gave him a determined nod. "Yes. Nothing is going to hurt my mommy."

"Good," he looked over at Piccolo who had already overheard a conversation he had earlier. "When Trunks gets back, let's get these two into the hyperbolic time chamber immediately."

"Of course," Piccolo looked a bit hesitant, though. "But at least give the boy some time with his father before he leaves. Who knows how much time Goku will have left once he gets back-"

Speaking of the Saiyan hero, everyone slowly turned their heads in the direction where they were sensing an incredible amount of energy. It was so, so strong that even Bulma and Chi-Chi could feel it pulsating their entire bodies. Even little Marron could, who was gripping on tight to her mother's leg.

"Goku!" Piccolo managed to breath out, stunned equally alongside Bardock. "But.."

"Yeah!" Krillin cheered with his eyes shut, sensing his best friend's power. "Goku should've done this in the first place!"

"I knew it!" Goten grinned. "Nobody in the world could beat my dad!" Bardock placed the child on the tiles, placing a gentle hand on his small shoulder while looking knowingly at Piccolo.

"It's still not enough, is it?"

All eyes were on the Saiyan and Namek duo, confused. Piccolo nodded, and his eyes narrowed in one a single tile while nervous sweat rolled down his forehead. "It's true that Goku has proven to be stronger than any of us have ever imagined. But the chances of him beating Majin Buu by himself are still slim."

"If he can't do it," Chi-Chi breathed out, a single tear rolling down at cheek at Piccolo's and Bardock's revelation. "Is there anyone that can."

"I hope," they said in unison. "I hope."

Goten watched as his grandfather and big green uncle closed their eyes once more to focus. The word 'hope' rang through his head repeatedly, reminding him that once his best friend returned, they were going to be just that.

The only hope.

xxxxxxx

Bardock watched from the corner as Goku and Piccolo worked together to make sure the boys got the fusion dance down pack. His son only had thirty minutes left on Earth, and he decided it was for the best if his son had a chance to spend it with Goten before Bardock himself would go into the hyperbolic time chamber with Gotenks.

They would have an entire year to train together, while the world on the outside passed by for a single day.

The Saiyan couldn't believe such a thing existed.

"Hey, what's wrong!?" Bardock glanced over to see the children went their arms crossed and glaring up at Goku, especially Trunks. The boy was refusing to move.

"I'm sorry," he said, obviously not sorry. "But I'd rather learn how you turn into a Super Saiyan 3!"

"Huh!?" Goku blinked, and began to scratch the back of his head nervously. He was going to object, but Goten ran up to him and clung to his pant leg. The same trap he always got his grandfather in.

"Yeah, yeah! Can you show me how to become a Super Saiyan 3, too!? That was awesome!"

Piccolo snarled, grabbing Goten by the collar of his gi and holding him up high. "That's enough! Your father doesn't have time to teach you brats anything else!" He dropped the child to the ground, who began sniffling while Trunks pouted. Goku began to pout to, and gently shoved Piccolo out of the way.

"Aw, they look so sad! I'll do it for you guys one time!"

"NO!" Piccolo protested from behind. "You're running out of time!"

"I'm already out of time," he simply stated and then turned his attention back to the children. "Goten, Trunks, watch closely!"

From where he stood, Bardock raised an eyebrow and straightened himself up a bit so he could get the best possible view of his son. He had felt the energy from afar, but even then it was incredibly strong. Just how did it feel being this close? What was this Super Saiyan 3 business all about?"

"First, turn Super Saiyan followed by Super Saiyan 2!" The boys nodded as they watched Goku do what he said. Once the electricity of the ascended Saiyan surrounded him, Goku clenched his fists tightly and the four pairs of eyes were intently on the hero to see what he did next. "Now you go even...further beyond!" Goku began yelling wildly at the top of his lungs. The power emerging from him caused the entire lookout to shake, and send the boys flying away like tumble weeds. Even Piccolo and Bardock had to struggle to keep standing. "This next energy comes from deep inside... Push hard to fight it!"

Bardock's eyes widened even more as his son's hair began to resemble that of Raditz. Once the power up was complete, the boys were back on their feet and applauding loudly at the transformed Saiyan who was panting wildly. "Are you alright?" Piccolo asked as Goku returned to his base form.

"Yeah, don't worry about!" He managed to give the Namek a thumbs up, and turned his attention back to Trunks and Goten. "Now, you boys better get back to work and listen to whatever your grandfather says, alright?"

"Goku."

The group turned around to see Baba on her crystal ball with a frown on her face. "It's time to go. That last stunt you pulled drained the last bit of sand through your hourglass."

"Alright," the Saiyan frowned, knowing not to protest. He then proceeded to smile at his former rival. "Piccolo, just make sure the boys fuse properly before Bardock goes into the chamber with them! I'm putting all my trust into you, Piccolo. You earned it."

The green being nodded, feeling very honored that Goku thought so highly of him and knew he was going to take it to heart. "Thank you."

Goku turned his attention to the children with a serious look on his face. "I want you to show Piccolo and Bardock the same respect and attention you gave me. They're in charge now."

The boys saluted the dead hero, and they all began walking towards Bardock who joined the group. They emerged from the small ramada of the lookout to where the rest of the group was waiting on them. Goku said his goodbyes to all of his friends, saving his family for last as Baba began tapping her feet impatiently. Chi-Chi held on tightly to her husband, breathing in his scent and taking as much away from this moment as she could. Bulma was crying for her, an aching in her chest for the woman whose pain she now shared.

Goku kissed the top of his wife's head to get her attention, and Chi-Chi pried herself off a bit to look up at him with glistening eyes. He kissed her forehead, then her eyelids, her nose, and finally her lips until the woman was blushing. Goten looked away quickly in embarrassment; not sure what sex was but believing he had just witnessed it.

"I love you, Goku."

"I love you, Chi-Chi."

The two kissed again before the woman knew she had to let go. If not now, she'd never do it. Goku turned his attention to his father, whose orbs were hard with something undetectable to both of them. "Remember your promise, kid."

"I know," Goku smiled. "I'll go right to King Kai's planet once I get to the check in station."

"Good," Bardock returned the smile. "It was... nice seeing you, son." He turned his back to Goku, expecting his son to leave now with the fortuneteller woman when he felt something touch his shoulder. Glancing over, he saw that it was his son's hand. Bardock turned himself back around so they were facing each other once more.

Without saying a word, Goku pulled his father into the same embrace Bardock had given them when they first met. The strange feeling in Bardock was going haywire, and it only increased when he returned the embrace. The father and son duo held each other for a brief moment, and then separated. "I'm proud to have you as a father."

Bardock released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding in. It was as if that sentence was all he ever needed to hear in his life to know that he wasn't the piece of shit he always believed himself to be. As if being himself wasn't such a bad thing, after all.

Goku looked down at the mini version of him who was trembling. He let out a heartwarming laugh. "Do you want a hug too, son!?"

The boy cried out and charged towards his father, who picked him up in his arms and spun around with him pressed against his chest. "Don't go, Daddy. I really like you."

"I like you too, Goten." Goku smiled sadly as his son as he placed him back on the ground. His hands were on his shoulders as he spoke firmly. "But I don't have a choice. It's up to you now, son. Make me prouder than you already do." He winked over at Trunks who gave him a thumbs up and turned his back to everyone. He knew that he would only want to stay longer if he kept looking at all their faces.

"Ready, Goku?"

I'll never be.

"Yeah. Let's go, Baba."

xxxxxxxxxxx

Gine stretched her feet out on the grass of Grand Kai's planet, where King Kai was admiring the old god's car. She tilted her head to the side, still not sure what the contraption was or why it was so special. "King Kai?"

"Yes, ma'am?" He snorted, and finally took his attention off the beautiful machine to look at the female Saiyan on the ground. "An ant bite you or something?"

"No," she laughed. "I'm just wondering if you could fill me in on what's going on down there."

King Kai looked behind at at the figure that just appeared out of thin air and smiled brightly. "I would, but I think it's better if you ask your son."


	19. Birth of Gotenks

"Son?"

The two Saiyans had said the word at the same time, both blinking at King Kai in unison who just continued to snort at himself. Gine had not yet turned around to see who her new friend was speaking of due to the mixture of shock and panic rushing all through her. She wasn't expecting to see her son, well, at all. King Kai took note of how uneasy she looked and gestured once more to the tall figure behind her. "What's the matter, Gine?" he frowned. "You were going on and on about him before, but now you won't even turn around to see him! What gives?"

While she remained voiceless and motionless, Goku slowly glanced down at the female below him. Her back was facing him, but from where he stood he could see the way her black hair spiked downwards like his brother's only shorter. That was when he began to feel a strange sensation in his stomach. This Gine woman was wearing Saiyan armor colored similarly to his father's; but unlike Bardock, she seemed very frail and dainty in comparison. Her tail wasn't curled around her waist either; it laid flat on the grass like a snake. Goku cleared his throat, ready to see more. "Excuse me, miss? Would you mind turning around for a quick second?"

King Kai held out a hand for her to grab onto, and once Gine did so, he helped bring her to her feet. She wiped the grass off her pants before turning around to face the Saiyan with a very familiar messy hairstyle. She looked at King Kai for reassurance, and he nodded politely at her. She took a deep breath, letting it out and then pivoting around. Immediately seeing the man before her caused tears to start brimming. She slowly reached a hand out towards his face, settling it on his warm cheek and rubbing her thumb against his skin.

Goku controlled his breathing while looking into the eyes of the woman caressing his face, seeing so many similarities in her features when compared to the man he would see in the mirror; and even his sons. He knew he had found the person his father wanted him to see, and now understood why. He opened his mouth to speak, but the woman opted to go first.

"Kakarot..." Tears were beginning to silently and individually slide down her ducts to her cheeks and sort of rested there. Gine inched her hand forward a bit, brushing up her son's bangs a bit so she could see his forehead. After all the moments she had seen him from faraway, after the last time she had held him in her arms, Kakarot was finally by her side again. She could physically touch him; she could talk to him and hear him. It was real. It was very real. "You're so grown up..."

"Yes," King Kai smiled and nodded, taking a look at Goku who briefly glanced his direction before settling his orbs back on his mother. "Goku truly has grown over the years into a strong man. You should be very proud."

Gine laughed softly, the sound of it reminding her son of his wife whenever their children said or did something that amused her. "What kind of name is Goku, anyway?" She smiled up sadly at him, bringing her hand back down to her side which caused Goku to frown. He didn't want her to stop. A mother's touch was truly something indescribable. "I'm sorry, but you're always going to be Kakarot to me."

Goku returned the smile while chuckling at the same time. He noticed his mother was fiddling with her thumbs as if she was still nervous to be around him. He looked at King Kai once more, gesturing for him in a respectful way for him to leave so they can be alone for a second. Once his previous master was making his way back to Grand Kai's car, his focus went back to Gine. "Can you believe I get a chance to meet my dad and mom in the same day!?" he winked. "Talk about luck!"

"Your father," Gine smiled shyly. "What do you think of him?"

The messy-haired hero grinned and linked his arm with hers. He began walking with her by his side throughout Grand Kai's planet. The dead warriors waved at the mother-son duo, and then quickly continued to spar with each other. "I'll admit he's a bit rough around the edges," Goku chuckled and Gine looked back up at him with admiration. "But he's an amazing guy with a good heart. I really believe that, you know? And my sons just love him!"

"Do you love him, Kakarot?"

Although her question was spoken very quietly as if they were sharing a secret, Goku heard her perfectly clear and glanced away from a nearby tree to look into her shaking orbs. He pouted a bit, upset that she seemed to be so afraid or nervous around him like he was going to hurt her. As kindly and as softly as he could so he wouldn't make her feel any worse, he finally answered. "You know something, I think I do." His smile began to regrow. "Yeah. I do love my dad."

Gine felt relief wash over her, and her features relaxed a lot more than before. "Not that he'd ever say it, but he loves you and your family, too. I know he does. Especially my grandsons."

"Mom?" The word felt so foreign on his lips that he even said it a bit strange, causing Gine to tilt her head.

"Yes, Kakarot?"

"You're different," he stopped walking to muse over his thoughts of her. They unlinked arms, and he took a step back so they could look at each other face to face once more. "Yeah. Really different. You're a pure blood Saiyan, aren't you?"

"Uh huh," Gine nodded, but was confused as hell. "Sure am. Why?"

"I dunno," Goku scratched the back of his head, equally confused. He tried to get use to the fact he now knew his mother without acting like it was such a big moment but couldn't do it anymore. There was something very strange going on. "All the pure blood Saiyans I've met or heard about were all mean and cold blooded. You don't seem to be either. In fact, you're sweet and I can tell your heart is pure. What gives?"

Gine blushed immediately, not sure if her son was pointing out her flaws or her good qualities. She looked down at her white boots so she didn't have to look into his similar eyes. "I don't know what's so bad about that," she mumbled. "You're sweet and pure, yourself."

"Hey!" Goku laughed, and placed an arm gently on her shoulder so she would look up at him again. "I don't think you understand! I'm happy with just the way you are; I'm just a bit shocked by it! What's a good girl like you doing with a bad man like my father, huh?"

Noticing his wink and teasing voice, the woman couldn't help but laugh her melodic tune. Gine placed his hand on top of his that rested on her shoulder and smiled sweetly. "To be perfectly honest with you, I don't know how he ever got so lucky!" The two shared another laugh together, and then Gine cleared her throat when she noticed there was something hiding behind her son's eyes. "Kakarot, what's wrong?"

"Huh?"

"You're hiding something. What's wrong?"

Goku blinked at the sudden strict voice emerging from the little woman. He sweatdropped a little when he realized she was in the same stance as Chi-Chi was whenever Gohan told her little white lies she clearly saw through. Only meeting for five minutes for the first time, and Gine was already mothering him! "Whaddya mean, crazy!? There's nothing wrong with me!"

"Don't lie to me, Kakarot."

The messy-haired Saiyan frowned and sighed, then placed his other hand on Gine's shoulder so he was holding her. "I really love to be with you right now Mom, but I can't get my mind off of everything that's going on back on Earth right now. My, well, our family and my friends are about to face death and I really need to see Gohan. He's not too far from here; I can sense him."

Gine smiled sadly, knowing full well what it's like to love a heroic man. She turned her back on her son and waved. "I understand, Kakarot. I'll see you-"

"Hey, wait up!" Goku chuckled, reaching for her raised wrist and gently bringing her back to him. "You're coming with me!"

"What!?" Gine blinked. "Me!?"

"Yeah!" Goku looked like a kid in a candy store; more excited than anything as he invisioned what it would be like to watch his son train on another planet while spending time with his mother. "Gosh, Gohan would love to meet his grandma! What do you say!?"

"Do I... Do I really have a choice?"

"Nope!"

King Kai glanced over from a distance to watch the mother and son duo disappear in a blink of an eye. He shook his teal head, realizing that Goku had just used instant-transmission his mother and himself to wherever Gohan was. "Crazy family," he snorted while looking at his reflection on the car. "You can't help but love them all."

xxxxxxxxxx

"Again."

"Fuuuuuu...sion...Ha!"

"Again."

Bardock raised an eyebrow, prepared for the boys to complain or argue about repeating the dance for the nth time today. To his surprise, the boys went at it again and again without having him to ask. After another thirty minutes, he looked over at Piccolo and nodded. "Alright, kids. It's time. Trunks, keep your power as close as you can to Goten's and do it."

"Right!" The boys nodded simultaneously, and the others on the lookout had gathered behind the instructors in anticipation for the birth of the new warrior that Bardock had foreseen. Chi-Chi pushed aside the others to lock arms with her father-in-law; her legs were trembling too much from her nerves to stand on her own. While watching the boys power up, she looked up at the scar-faced Saiyan.

"Do you really think they're going to be as strong as you think?" she bit her bottom lip when he glared back down at her. "I mean, I know our boys are strong... But if Goku can't handle this monster..."

"Stop," Bardock ordered, but sounded a lot more gentle than agitated by her disbelief. "The fused sons of Kakarot and Prince Vegeta will be more than enough. Maybe not right now, but they will be. I can promise you that."

Chi-Chi nodded and remained silent; straightening herself up a little so she could fully pay attention to the boys who were now an equal distance apart. She felt Bardock's arm tighten around hers while Piccolo raised his voice.

"You're perfect, now go!"

Bardock closed his eyes tightly as the two began the fusion dance. After hearing their final 'ha!', he listened to the sound of gasps surrounding the entire lookout while he sensed a new energy. Perhaps he was beginning to grow crazy, but it felt even more powerful than either of their fathers and this was only the beginning. His ears perked up when he heard Piccolo complimenting them for doing it successfully, and only after that did he finally open his eyes.

Sure enough, the boy he had seen in his vision was directly before him. That mini Vegeta with purple streaks and white pants with a yellow-padded vest. Once he locked eyes with Bardock, Gotenks smirked and pointed a finger at the Saiyan. "Thanks for all the help. As a reward, I'm going to bring Buu back to your feet, dead."

Bulma and Chi-Chi exchanged wild-eyed looks at the sound of both their sons speaking at once, while Bardock snarled at the levitating combination. "Where the hell do you think you're going!?"

"Get down here, now!" Piccolo barked as well, his fangs showing as the boy simply chuckled darkly to himself and continued to rise up higher. "You can't defeat Majin Buu how you are right now! You need serious training!"

Gotenks' smirk grew as he shrugged. "That's what you think. I'm strong enough as it is. See ya!" The boy turned away from the group only to have widened eyes at the scar-faced Saiyan right in front of his face looking pissed off beyond belief. Once Gotenks got his composure back from the sudden shock of seeing Bardock, he crossed his arms over his chest and rolled his eyes. "What do you want, old man?"

"I don't know what kind of cocky asshole was created here," Bardock glowered and clenched his large hands into fists so tight it actually hurt a little. "But I know Trunks and Goten are in there, somewhere. They know damn well Chi-Chi along with everyone else they love is going to die at the hands of that monster. You'll live with the regret the rest of your life that you were the only hope and you failed. Just like Vegeta."

Bardock smirked when Gotenks' eyes darkened over. He knew he had to hit him where it hurt in order to bring him back to his senses, but was prepared to block the punch that was sent his way. Gotenks' fist dug into the palm of Bardock, low growls of anger emerging from the boy's lips. "And to think," the Saiyan grandfather glared at the angered child. "I thought you were stronger than my son for a second."

Gotenks yelled loudly, and began pounding Bardock fist after fist. The Saiyan managed to dodge a few at first, but was overwhelmed by the increase in speed. The tiles of the lookout were quickly advancing on him, and he landed hard. A boot came up from the tiles and kicked him in the face while Bulma and Chi-Chi shouted out in anger at their disobedient hybrid.

Bardock twitched his nose for a second to get the sense back in it, and glanced up to see Gotenks' nostrils flaring as he glared down at his trainer. The scar-faced Saiyan couldn't help but smirk when the child extended his hand out for him to grab. Gotenks helped Bardock get back on his feet and the two locked eyes for a good minute before the mini Vegeta spoke first.

"I couldn't sense that you moved earlier; when you tried to stop me from going after Buu."

Bardock nodded, knowing the child was having some slight problems reading ki. It was something Goten would often to struggle with, but he thought the Trunks in the fused boy would do that a bit better. "But you surprised me. I can't believe such a little thing could hit that hard. I underestimated you, kid-"

"But I'm still not strong enough for Buu." Bardock responded with a series of blinks, a bit surprised Gotenks had finished his sentence for him and actually was beginning to listen to him. Equally stunned, Piccolo uncrossed his arms and walked up beside Bardock so they were now both facing the purple and black haired one.

"Thank you, Gotenks. I think it's time for you two to go into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. We'll be waiting for you on the other side," he looked between Gotenks and Bardock, noticing they weren't taking their eyes off each other. "Perhaps this will benefit you greatly as well, Bardock."

The Saiyan finally broke eye contact with Gotenks and placed a hand on Piccolo's shoulder. "Do you want to join us?"

The Namek smirked and shook his head. "No, I think I'd rather stay on guard with Dende to see what's going on down there. But if I change my mind, I'll be there without hesitation. From what I've seen, I highly doubt you'll go easy on the boys."

"Just make sure they get plenty of rest!" Bulma interjected, shoving Piccolo aside who began to fume. "And they eat!"

"Shit," Bardock muttered and looked over at Mr. Popo who was still amazed by Goten's and Trunks' transformation. "Is there food inside of that thing!?"

"I restocked it during your little 'fusion-ha's'," Mr. Popo chuckled nervously by the murderous glint in Bardock's eyes, and then relaxed when he noticed it disappeared. "You'll be just fine. I'll be sure to cook you up something when you come out if you're still hungry."

Bardock flashed the being a thumbs up and then focused his attention back on Gotenks who was picking his ear out of boredom. "Hey, kid?"

The boy lowered his hand and crossed his arms over his chest with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

Piccolo began leading the way to the chamber, and Bardock motioned for Gotenks to follow. The three made their way to the door while Bulma and Chi-Chi exchanged worried looks with each other as to what would happen to their boys, but knew full well that Bardock wouldn't let anything happen to them. Any of them. "There," the Namek gestured to the knob. "We'll see what a year of training does to you guys. See you in twenty four hours."

Bardock and Gotenks took one last look at the nervous group watching them from afar and then back at each other. Bardock took a ragged breath before they both stepped into what would seem like a whole new world where just the three of them existed. The Saiyan glanced down to see Gotenks tensed up and he patted his shoulder. "This is for the life of yours and the ones you care for. Remember that."

Gotenks could hear the sound of mothers calling his two counterparts in unison, their voices beginning to crack from the tears they couldn't hold. Without turning around to face them, he nodded. "For the ones I love."

They stepped into the white void as the door creaked shut behind them.

xxxxxx

"How many damn Saiyans are going to invade the sacred World of the Kais!" Kibito snapped, feeling like pulling his white hair out at the sight of the nervously chuckling Goku and Gine. "It's sacred for a reason!"

Supreme Kai shook his head with a smile, motioning for the two newcomers to join them. "Relax, Kibito. They're good people."

Gohan dropped the Z-Sword to the ground, happy to see his father and quickly came to a halt in front of them when he saw that Goku wasn't alone. Still grinning, he pointed a finger at Gine but spoke to his dad. "Who's this, Dad? A friend of yours you met in Other World?"

"I guess you could say that," Goku laughed and placed a gentle hand on the back of his nervous mom. "This is your grandma, Gine! Now you can see where we get all the great genes from, huh?" The messy-haired Saiyan leaned down a bit so he could place his cheek against his mom's cheek, smushing their faces together so Gohan could see the comparison.

The son couldn't help but laugh, noticing that they had the same eyes and shared the same large and goofy grin. "Well I'll be," Gohan chuckled again. "First I meet my grandpa, now my grandma! Can't say I'm shocked, though! Today's been a bit strange, hasn't it?" He smiled warmly and walked towards Gine, while Supreme Kai politely stepped aside while pulling the pouting Kibito next to him. "Nice to finally meet you. I'm Gohan."

"Yes, I know," Gine spoke so softly and kindly that the teen was thrown off a bit. He was expected to get a crude one liner like his grandfather always gave him. She opened her arms to him, wanting to embrace him and he obliged without question. She laughed into his chest, realizing just how tiny she was compared to all the males in her family. "My grandson. Gosh. It feels so wonderfully strange to say that."

Gohan pushed her back gently so he could look at her with a raised eyebrow. "Are you sure you're a Saiyan?"

"I can't believe you two!" Gine gasped, looking at her son and then back at Gohan with a pout. "Just because my husband is a bully doesn't mean I am!"

Gohan blinked at the small female, and then sweatdropped while giving his attention to his father. "Wow, Dad. She's definitely your mom."

Supreme Kai coughed, and when all eyes were suddenly on him he stepped back to his place beside Gohan. "I'm truly sorry to interrupt this beautiful moment, but we really need you to get to mastering this sword. I just got an awful feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I feel like it's because of Majin Buu and his terror on your homeland."

"Z Sword?" Goku scratched the back of his head while Gine fully pulled herself away from her grandson. "What's that?"

The poor female Saiyan got bored quickly hearing the Supreme Kai's ramblings and Gohan's retelling of the 'mighty' sword and yawned. She walked over to a nearby tree and slid down the surprisingly smooth bark, resting her butt on the grass and leaning back. When she closed her eyes, she fell asleep within seconds.

Just sleeping.

And lightly snoring.

And drooling.

"WHAT!? THERE ARE TWO SUPREME KAIS!?"

Gine's eyes snapped open quickly coming out of her reverie, wiping the drool off her chin while noticing that there was another person in the odd group. It looked like a much older version of the purple Shin-jin, wearing the same outfit as him too along with Gohan. She watched him with curiosity as he coughed and wheezed for a second before shuffling his feet towards the confused Saiyans and the freaked-out Shin-jins.

She listened as he began telling the story of how he became trapped inside the sword, while Goku and Gohan were exchanging words she couldn't understand due to her other senses still trying to wake themselves up from the good nap. When she saw the orb of light coming out of her son's palm, she fumed. "KAKAROT!"

The orb escaped his palm before he could hear her and it brushed past the Supreme Kai's ears to strike Elder Kai in the face. They all began screaming as the old man fell backwards, and Gine became bored again as Supreme Kai helped him to his feet and the Elder began arguing with her son and grandson. She shook her end, seeing the Bardock in Kakarot after he tried testing the strength of the old man. She re-closed her eyes when the Elder Kai began mentioning something about his so called 'menacing capacities'.

More dozing.

More sleeping.

Just a little bit of snoring.

No more drooling.

"She's right over there," Gine's ears twitched at the sound of her son's voice in a loud whisper that most likely wasn't meant to be so. "Yup! Right there."

"Ooh," Elder Kai's chuckling came in second. "She's a good-looking little thing."

"Dad!" Gohan groaned, and then hissed at his father. "That's my grandmother, your MOM for crying outloud! Don't do this!"

"Aw, come on!" Goku said, and Gine opened her eyes slowly into a glare that wasn't noticed by any of them. They had all turned their backs on her after Elder Kai began practicing his kisses with his hand, prepared to get a good smooch from the Saiyan mother. "She's a trooper! She loves us, plus her husband is on Earth and she would do anything to keep him alive!"

"I don't think kissing that old man is part of that..."

"Oh, sure! Don't look so-AHHHHH!"

Supreme Kai, Kibito, and Elder Kai all snapped their attention to where Goku should've been standing behind them. Instead, they saw him sitting on the ground and rubbing his head. Standing beside him was a shocked Gohan and a very angry mother with a raised fist.

"Whaddya know," Goku sweatdropped and chuckled before wincing. "My mom is a lot tougher than she looks!"

xxxxxxxx

"What do you want me to do now?"

"I want you to hit me as hard as you can."

Gotenks and Bardock was standing a few feet apart, trapped in the white void alone but not phased by it. Somehow, Bardock was able to convince the arrogant Gotenks to listen to his every word, and the Saiyan now knew that the boy realized how important and urgent it was to be the warrior he was prophesied to become. They were testing the strength of their base forms first, and Gotenks charged towards Bardock with his fist clenched tightly by his side. Once the impact touched the Saiyan's face, he stumbled backwards but still managed to stay on his feet.

Wiping the blood away from his lip with the back of his hand, Bardock cracked his neck and got into another stance. "Try again. You were holding back."

Gotenks nodded and once more attacked Bardock, this time in the stomach with a much harder force that caused the grandfather to double over. The taste of blood was apparent in his mouth as the red liquid dripped down and landed on the white floors. The sound of the drops reminded Gotenks of a leaky faucet, and he placed a hand on Bardock's shoulder while the Saiyan wheezed a bit; having the air knocked out of him.

"Was that too hard, old man?"

"Fucking," he coughed. "Brat."

Gotenks flashed a grin and gave him a two finger salute as Bardock found the strength to stand up straight once again. "Hey, it's pretty impressive you can take a punch like that!" Becoming overly cocky with himself again, the mini Vegeta began to strut around the room and muse to himself. "You know, I bet I could kill you if I did that as Super Saiyan. Not that I want to, of course. I like you a lot. But-"

"How many times do I have to tell you," Bardock's voice came from behind Gotenks, and the child's eyes widened as he was shoved to the floor with an immense force that ended up causing his back to ache slightly. "Pay attention at all times. Use your senses. Focus." He pulled him to his feet, almost tearing the vest he wore completely as he heard the slight rasp of material ripping.

Gotenks glared at the Saiyan for a moment, expected him to punch him in the gut but found himself being placed back on the floor. He blinked in surprise, and then scowled. "Why did you do that!? Why did you punk out!? I can take it!"

"I know you can," Bardock nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. "I know that I'll be nothing to you once you find your complete power. But I know your fusion is about to end, and the two brats that are part of you will need to rest."

Gotenks was about to protest when a blinding light consumed him. Sure enough, the brilliant tactician had called it as the two small bodies took over Gotenks' place as they yawned.

"Did we..." Trunks rubbed his eyes for a second and looked around the room, realizing they had made it to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. "Did we do it?"

"Yes," Bardock couldn't help but smile as Goten lazily rested his head against his friend's shoulder. "You boys did great. But it's time to rest now. We still have three hundred and sixty four days left together."

Without saying a word, Goten extended his arms out for his grandfather to lift him up. Once Bardock had the child in his left arm, the boy rested his head against the left side of his chest and closed his eyes tightly. He noticed Trunks was looking at him strangely before they began heading to the rest area. "What? You want to be carried, too?"

"No way!" Trunks fumed and immediately looked away. "That's for babies!"

"I use to think the same way as you," Bardock sighed and caught the attention of the lavender-haired boy once more. "I used to be repulsed by this little annoyance. But now... Now I believe whenever you get the chance to be a kid, you need to soak up every second of it. It's not going to last much longer. I'm... I'm sorry you need to be pushed into adulthood so fast because of all this shit. But I won't tell anyone if you decide to join us."

"It's fine," Trunks mumbled. "It's fine."

Bardock nodded, and continued walking to the rest area while Trunks frowned.

"Hey, wait!"

xxxxxxxxxxx

The Saiyan couldn't help but feel that awfully wonderful feeling rise up in his chest as both Trunks and Goten were sleeping in his arms. He placed Goten down first, and Trunks second. He brushed the messy bangs away from Goten's forehead for a moment, and then reluctantly did the same to Trunks. He cursed at himself for showing such a weakness for them, but his embarrassment quickly faded when he realized at the moment he was doing the right thing.

"Goodnight to our only hope." Bardock slightly smiled and walked away to clear his mind.


	20. It's Never Too Late

"Bardock?"

The scar faced Saiyan didn't turn around as he heard the steps echoing throughout the white void. It had been yet another sleepless night; having strange visions of a childlike version of Majin Buu that looked more sinister than anything he had ever come across in his lifetime. The earth, his current home, evaporated into nothing. Everything had ceased after that. Even his visions.

At the moment, the earth has no future.

"What is it, Trunks?" The messy-haired time traveler's voice sounded foreign to the kid's ears, almost weak and definitely nothing like himself. Frowning, the boy sat down beside him on the tiles as they looked into the endless distance at nothing. He brushed his purple hair, now down to his chin, out of the way. Bardock finally looked over at him when sighed loudly.

"It's been a month, hasn't it?" When Bardock nodded, Trunks fumed and crossed his arms over his chest wearing his father's scowl. "Why don't I feel anything stronger, then!? Why have you been slacking off!"

"Gotenks has gotten stronger," Bardock looked down at his red wrist band that was beginning to tear. Picking at the hole with his other hand, his voice became even quieter. "It's still not enough."

Frustrated, Trunks began tugging at the ends of his growing hair until he finally stood up and pointed an angry finger at his trainer. "Then why don't you stop laying around and keep training me! Us! Like my dad use to do! He would never quit! Never!"

Bardock raised an eyebrow, glancing up at the small boy. "You think I'm quitting on you? Sit your ass back down, now," he ordered and Trunks reluctantly obliged. This time, the Saiyan grandfather was the one to stand. He was finally coming back to his senses. "Your dad did an excellent job teaching you, and I mean that. But there's something that's bothering me immensely, and I hope you can enlighten me as to why the fuck it's happening."

Trunks gulped, suddenly feeling like he did something wrong. "...What is it?"

Bardock began pacing around the misty tiles with his arms crossed, frowning down at his boots while doing so. "You said you don't feel stronger, yet Gotenks has been improving day by day. How can he be stronger, yet you still feel the same?" he glowered at the child now, who was slightly blushing in embarrassment. "Are you trying to tell me that you're not in control of him?"

"What..." Trunks blinked, now tilting his head. "Do you mean?"

"Do you remember when Piccolo and myself fused?" The lavender-haired boy shuddered, and then proceeded to nod. "I was still able to communicate with Piccolo. We were able to control our new body, not let it have a mind of its own. Why can't you do the same? I know you're a little brat at times, but with the sense your father gave you and Goten's personality, Gotenks shouldn't be so goddamn arrogant."

Trunks lowered his head in shame, not wanting to look into the accusing eyes of Bardock. "I... I didn't know you could do that. I just thought he takes all of our memories and combines our power and that's it."

Bardock let out a long sigh before offering his hand out to Trunks. The boy looked up from his boots with a slightly shocked expression, but took his offer. Now both on their feet, face to face, the full blood Saiyan placed his hands on the son of Vegeta's small shoulders. "You need to train your mind and stop being such an idiot sometimes." The boy opened his mouth for a good comeback, but was silenced by Bardock's warning glare. "Once you do that, you'll be amazed at what you'll discover. Gotenks will be a true warrior... You wanna know something, kid?"

The boy was still upset at being called an idiot, but still had no choice but to nod. "What."

"When Bardiccolo was born, I was able to see the memories that Piccolo has," he watched as Trunks' blue eyes widened a bit, probably wondering what sorts of things he could see through Goten's mind. "Besides a fight between Gohan and this insect, something else caught my eye and I'm not sure if anyone has ever told you about it. Shit, I don't think I should be telling you about it."

Underneath Bardock's grip, the boy began jumping up and down wildly. "Tell me, tell me, tell me! I promise I won't say anything!"

"Promise?"

"Promise!"

Bardock chuckled darkly. "I saw a young man, around the age that Gohan is now. Tall, Capsule Corps vest. Sword. Pretty good lookin' kid, despite the purple hair." Trunks seethed at the Saiyan who winked after teasing him. "He was a superb fighter, even stronger than your father."

"My father!?" the kid looked like he was going to keel over from such shocking news. "No way! Nobody is stronger than my dad!"

"Mmhm," Bardock smirked. "It's true, alright. This kid was amazing. Nearly broke your father's heart when he saw him turn into a Super Saiyan. You see, all those years ago, it wasn't a common occurrence. It was believed my son was the only one to achieve it... And now look, my grandsons and yourself at such a young age are doing it."

"Thank you," Trunks slightly smiled at the compliment, but frowned quickly realizing that Bardock was the worst story teller in the world. "Can you pleeeeaaaaaase tell me about the kid that was stronger than my dad!? Or why this is so important!? I'm dying here!"

Bardock couldn't help but flash his fangs at the impatient excitement of the prince's son. "Well, he's a hero. There was an evil tyrant, one that I hope you'll never have to encounter the rest of your life. Your father and my oldest son were slaves under his order until one day, your father decided enough was enough." Seeing the child's wild eyes of hope and joy of hearing about his dad, Bardock decided to lie. Just a bit. "So your father and my son teamed up and beat the shit out of him!"

"Yay!"

"But!"

"But!?"

"But he survived!"

"NO!"

"And then he came to Earth!"

"NO!"

"Yes!" Bardock had to stifle his laughter at how dramatic things were becoming, and continued to hold down the wriggling child. "But that kid I was telling you about. He shocked everyone by killing the tyrant. Even the tyrant's father... That boy was a hero. He finally accomplished an enormous feat that none of us could achieve."

"Wow," Trunks let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in. "What was his name?"

Bardock bit his lower lip, wondering if he should go for it or not. Hell, he'd already gotten himself in too deep. Plus those fucking puppy dog eyes... "Trunks. His name was Trunks. He was from the future." The Saiyan grandfather removed his hands from Trunks' shoulders while the child responded with a series of blinks.

"That was me," he whispered, looking off into the distance as if he could picture himself older. Stronger. Wiser. "Are you... Are you sure?"

"Positive," Bardock turned his back on Trunks so the boy could be alone with his thoughts, silently praying that this new information would strike something inside of him that would help turn the visions around. He began walking towards the rest area where Goten was snoring gently, prepared to tell him a little inspirational story that would be completely made up in order to get that strange sense of urgency from his grandson that he was getting from Trunks. Without turning around or stopping, the trainer said one more thing to his trainee. "You know, you kids make me realize age doesn't mean shit. You can do great things, Trunks. Even now, you can be that hero from the future."

Coming back to his senses, the lavender-haired child watched the back of Bardock disappear until he was completely alone in the center of the chamber. He looked down at his small hands, imagining them to the size of his father's. He looked down at his green gi, wondering what he would look like with a Capsule Corps vest and a sword. Finally, he envisioned what it would be like to save Earth from devastating evil. "I will save you again," he spoke to himself, raising his chest up high. "Mom, Dad... Bardock. I will. I swear I will."

xxxxxx

Wrapping his arm around his ticked off mama, Goku began rocking side to side to try and make her smile. When Gine continued to pout, her son whined. "Mom! Come on, talk to me! I was just trying to save the world! If what this guy says is true, do you know how powerful your grandson will be!?... Moooooom!"

Gine remained with her arms over her chest as the mother and son duo were laying against one the large, beautiful trees on the sacred World of the Kais. Thankfully, Goku had bargained off Bulma so the Elder Kai had finished the first part of his ceremony. He danced and chanted in a circle around the sweatdropped covered Gohan, while Supreme Kai and Kibito exchanged dumbfounded glances. Now, the stiff and frozen teen had to sit in silence while Elder Kai was reading his comic book.

"Help me!" he mouthed to his father and grandmother; both of which just waved in return. Feeling Gine's muscles move during the gesture, Goku turned his attention back to her and rested his head on her shoulder.

"Aw, Mom! This is the first time we've spent time together and you want to just give me the silent treatment?"

Gine removed his arm and pushed his face away from her gently, although her face told a different story. She got to her feet and pointed a deadly, dainty finger at her son. "I can't believe you were trying to use me like that, Kakarot! Just wait until I tell your father!"

Panicking, Goku folded his hands together as if he was going to say a prayer. He bowed to her feet and began to beg, causing Gohan to look over at them until Elder Kai ordered him not to. "Please, please don't tell him! Please! I didn't mean it!"

"Fine," she sighed as her son happily jumped to his feet. "You're off the hook for that one. But there's something else we need to discuss."

The messy-haired look alike of Bardock pouted once more, now understanding how Gohan felt all those times Chi-Chi would scold him over something he was never sure about. He preferred the shy version of his mother over this sudden feisty one. Lowering his head like a child about to get time-out, the poor hero scratched the back of his head. "Well, what is it?"

Gine reached and took both of his hands in hers, staring up at her tall son with a sad smile. "I know why you made the choices that you did, but I can't believe you did. My daughter in law was left alone to raise your son... Gohan went through years without his father... I know your dad isn't going to win father of the year any time soon, but at least he was there whenever he miraculously had a chance. Does family mean anything to you, Kakarot?"

Goku stared long and hard into the eyes that so eerily resembled his, feeling that familiar twinge of guilt that lingered in his chest ever since he decided to remain in Other World. His plan worked, had it not? During those seven years before he came back, everything was at peace. And then as soon as he arrived... "They're much better off without me."

Gine shook her sadly, frowning while doing so. Behind the eyes of her son, she could see seven years of regret and a couple hours of disappointment in himself. "If you think for one second that monster is your fault, it's not-"

"It is," his mother's hands were still on his face, but he was looking down at his navy boots. "It has to be. The fight between Vegeta and me gave it the energy it needed; the Supreme Kai and Kibito came looking for me... It was all my fault."

"So much like your father, Kakarot," Gine rubbed his face with her thumbs, her heart aching seeing her goofy son acting so morbid. "You can't blame yourself at all for this. Nobody does, only you. It would have happened eventually, and maybe Other World training has benefited you, but it's too late to wonder about what should have been... So I want you to make me a promise."

"Of course."

"If you ever happen to get your life back, can you stay with your family? Take a break from being the world's hero, and be theirs. That's all I'm asking for."

Although Goku was doubtful he'd be given a life, he nodded and a grin found its way to him. How awesome would it be, to watch Goten grow into an adult or make up lost time with his wife and Gohan? It was wishful thinking, but the idea was already lifting some guilt off his shoulders. He wrapped his arms tightly around his mom for a moment, and then let go to look at her. "Sure thing," his grin grew wider when he realized something better than napping to pass time while Gohan's powers were being unleashed. "Hey, Mom! I was wondering, do ya know any techniques?"

"Techniques?" she tilted her head. "What do you mean? Like a ki blast? Because that's all I know how to do."

Goku nearly fell over, disbelief washing over his face as he looked his mother up and down. "And you're absolutely positive you're a full blood Saiyan? That grew up on Planet Vegeta?"

Gine huffed, feeling a bit self conscious. "Yes! But I wasn't out on the battlefield with all those others brutes!"

The messy-haired one blinked and rubbed the back of his head. "Well...what were you doing, then?"

"Meat distribution," she raised her small nose in the air. "And I was damn good at it."

"At least that's a bit more useful than fighting," he chuckled and quickly changed the subject when his mother raised her fist in the air. He didn't want to be another victim of the Saiyan female's wrath. "Why don't I teach you one, then? It's really easy! I learned how to do it during my very first try!"

A look of sheer joy danced across Gine's eyes, realizing that for once, somebody wanted teach her something useful. She had begged and begged Bardock about a million times, but was always shot down by her grumpy mate. "What is it called!?"

"The Kamehameha wave!" he pointed a finger in the air and winked. "It's an oldie, but a goldie! Here, start by cupping your hands to your side like this..."

Gohan glanced away from the Elder Kai's face once he heard his father screaming. He shook his head in disbelief, but with a smile, as Goku was teaching his grandma the Kamehameha just like he taught Bardock and Goten.

Wow, just imagine all of us doing that at once...

"Ahem."

Blushing, the teen looked away just as his grandmother began to cup her hands to her side to look at the grotesque face of Elder Kai who was frowning in disapproval. "Y-Yes?"

"Pay attention! Do you want to save the world, or not!?"

"Yes," Gohan sighed and kept his eyes locked on the old Shin-jin, who began cackling at one of the panels in his book while the sounds of Gine saying that last 'haaaa' echoed through the serene planet. "I want to save the world."

"Be quiet! I'm trying to read!"

xxxxxxx

King Yemma tapped his giant red fingers against his large desk, overlooking the road to the check in station as heaps and heaps of souls were trying to enter through the doors. He glanced down helplessly at his blue-skinned helper with widened eyes. "Are they all from Earth?"

"Yes," the creature was exasperated, running a hand through the small tufts of brown hair on his head. "That Majin Buu creature is really giving that planet a run for its zeni! I wouldn't be surprised if by the end of this week, all the inhabitants will be here."

King Yemma dropped his head on the desk, causing the entire station to tremble from his frustration. He raised it back up slowly to look at his assistant with exhausted eyes. "What do you suppose we do?"

The being blinked wildly, a bit flabbergasted that his boss was asking him the questions. "Me? You're asking me?" Once he got the deadly glare from the giant, the blue-skinned man gulped loudly and adjusted his tie. "Well, sir, if you ask me... I think it's about time we got that one warrior out of purgatory and bring him here.. He may be of great assistance, since Goku's time already expired."

King Yemma opened his mouth to speak, but a woman below him began coughing to get his attention. By the entrance doors that were now closed so the poor overseer could have a moment to get his thoughts together sat an elderly pink-haired woman on her crystal ball. "What is it, Baba?" He watched as she glided over to him with ease, landing on top of his desk and hopping off her crystal ball.

"Not so fast," she warned. "You're suppose to give him more time until he's ready to go back to Earth."

The red giant released a low growl, but calmed himself down knowing Baba was absolutely correct. It was his decision, after all, to send this warrior and his body to the in between world until everything got sorted out. He gestured at Baba's prized possession with a large hand. "I suppose it won't hurt to see how he's doing," he quickly glanced down at his assistant before the show began. "Once I'm sure he's ready, you bring him here to me so we can speak briefly. Got that?"

"Right, boss!"

xxxxxxx

Vegeta had been to Hell before, back when Frieza had murdered him on Namek, and still he preferred it there than the place he was stuck in now. Wandering through the endless path that was illuminated white, there was not a soul in sight. It was him, only him. Being alone with his thoughts was the greatest torture in the world, and he cursed King Yemma for the pain to the nonexistent ceiling.

What was he do to, continue wandering endlessly until they decided to take his soul for reincarnation? And just how long would that be? Years? Centuries? Earning a pounding headache, the prince fell to the floor on his knees and gripped his head with a loud scream. "All in vain," he spoke through clenched teeth; eyes closed tightly as if he would awaken from this horrid nightmare. "My sacrifice was in vain!"

Images of Trunks falling over unconscious after his slap caused his chest to hurt along with his mind. He had no idea what was happening to his son, his wife that were still in danger's way. Perhaps knocking Kakarot out wasn't the best idea. "I fucking hate Buu!" he screamed, throwing his head back as he did so. "You hear me, Yemma!? I don't fucking care anymore! Take my soul! Take my body! I don't care anymore!"

"I never raised my son to be a quitter."

Vegeta immediately jumped to his feet, hearing a voice that was still recognizable after so many years. He looked around frantically, not able to detect where it was coming from. It wasn't until he focused in on a dot that was increasingly becoming larger towards him that his mouth became agape. He was right; it was him.

King Vegeta, father of the prince, stood proudly before his son. Attached to his shoulders was his red and blue cape; the one that always signified his royalty along with the symbol on his chest plate. He looked exactly as Vegeta had remembered him, save the halo floating above his head. The prince felt his headache begin to grow increasingly worse, his legs feeling they were going to give out on him as the king stopped just a foot away from him.

"What," he breathed out, trying to make sense of everything. "What is this? A hallucination?"

The king smirked and extended a strong hand forward. "You tell me."

Slowly, the prince reached out and felt like his chest was going to burst once he felt the warm flesh of his father touch his. The two locked eyes as they shook hands for a moment, until the king pulled his son in to embrace him. Vegeta was too stunned to return it, but didn't fight. Floods of memories, some that he often fought to forget, clashed through his mind as they broke through the levee he tried so hard to keep unbroken.

Whether this was a dream, a trick, or really happening... the prince didn't care. For the moment he wasn't alone, and his father was going to hear about twenty years worth of a conversation within the time they would have together.

Maybe leave out the fact that his son's hair is purple.

And Kakarot was the last to turn into a Super Saiyan.

His father let out the loud laughter that the prince hadn't heard since he was child once he returned the embrace. Right now, despite the two key members missing, he felt like he was home again.

xxxxxxxx

The two golden haired, icy green eyed bodies clashed again and again with each other in the depths of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Gotenks flipped in the air after being able to block one punch out of fifty that the other Super Saiyan had sent his way. Landing on his feet gracefully, the boy wiped his nose and smirked up at Bardock who began levitating down to him until they were a yard away on the tiles.

Returning the smirk, Bardock used his ripped wristband to soak up the blood that was dripping down his chin. "Alright, kid. Enough of the bullshit. It's been eleven months. What are you hiding from me?"

"Uh, uh, uh!" Gotenks waggled his finger teasingly with a wink and then lowered his hands to his side in clenched fists. "My time is almost up and we're not going to waste it by playing mind games with you."

"Shit," Bardock chuckled and got into his own little stance. "You've come a long way, kid. Show me what you've got."

The clenched fist was now held behind Gotenks as he appeared lightening fast before Bardock, and then threw it forward with such a force that it knocked the mentor backed when it connected to his gut. Stumbling backwards a bit, the Saiyan was gasping for breath as the wind had been knocked out of him. "Still... not...enough..."

"What!?" Gotenks scowled and lifted Bardock's bloody chin up to look into his orbs with equally hard ones. "What do you mean, it's still not enough!? You've lost every match the past few months. What more can I do!?"

"You're...hiding...something," Bardock snarled, slowly rising up once his lungs started working properly again. "Why the fuck am I still alive?"

The strong child's eyes widened with a mixture of confusion and horror, taking a step back to look at the grandfather Saiyan. "...What!?"

"You heard me," Bardock glowered and pounded his chest twice. "My heart is still beating. Why?"

Gotenks shook his head violently, taking a step back further. He was beginning to believe Bardock was insane. "I'm not trying to kill you! What the heck is wrong with you!?"

Bardock began walking menacingly towards Gotenks, the look in his already frightening eyes sending tremors of terror through the mini Vegeta. Every step the older one took, the younger one stepped back. The chamber was absolutely endless; it would continue until Bardock got what he wanted. "Show me your FULL POWER!" The scar-faced Saiyan roared, and Gotenks started to shake.

"T-Tomorrow," he stammered, panic sweat dripping from his forehead. "Please. I think you need some rest..." Unable to do anything after being paralyzed with fear, Bardock lifted Gotenks up by his vest. The blood from his ears were falling down his tan face and landing on the boy's cheeks.

"I'm Majin Buu!" he screamed, shaking the child who still couldn't respond. "Don't you fucking get it!? LOOK AT ME, TRUNKS AND GOTEN. I am the one who is going to kill everyone and everything you care about! I am the reason why Vegeta is dead! YOUR MOTHERS ARE GOING TO WONDER WHY YOU WEREN'T THERE FOR THEM AS I CRUSH THEIR BODIES WITH MY TEETH!"

"ENOUGH!" Gotenks screamed, the force of energy that was beginning to radiate from his body caused Bardock to drop him immedately. "ENOUGH! I WILL KILL YOU!"

Bardock's eyes widened as the child's hair grew as long as his eldest son's, and his eyebrows disappeared. The grandfather nearly fell over, realizing what was happening. That hidden power, that strength that the boy had been saving, was coming out on full display and Bardock released it. He covered his eyes as the boy's deafening scream rocked the chamber and his energy created a blinding light. Sensing his power up was over, he lowered his forearm away from his orbs to see a Super Saiyan 3 Gotenks standing before him with angry tears in his eyes.

"I have one minute left," he sniffed. "Is this what you wanted to see?"

"Yes," Bardock whispered. "I can't... believe it."

"Do we have to fight now?"

"No," the Saiyan shook his head and sat cross legged on the tiles, observing and admiring his grandson and the prince's son. "No. You boys did great today. For the last remaining month, though, you're training in that form."

The two locked eyes until the fusion was over. Goten and Trunks still had tears in their eyes as they looked down at Bardock who offered them his arms. They trudged over, collapsing into either side of him. Getting to his feet with his favorite brats, he began walking to the rest area to clean himself up and cook to the best of his ability. He was about to praise them, when Goten spoke into his neck.

"You're getting stronger, too, Grandpa."

"I know," he smirked. "I know."

"Can we make the dinner tonight?" Trunks yawned. "You're terrible."

"And you need a fucking haircut, you look like a girl."

The laughter of the warriors echoed throughout the entire chamber as they left the bloody tiles behind them.

xxxxxxxxx

Chi-Chi and Bulma held onto each other's hands tightly, keeping eager eyes on the door of the chamber as the long day had finally ended. Beside them was an equally impatient Piccolo with his arms crossed over his chest, while Videl was biting her nails.

"Hey!" she gasped. "It's opening!"

The large group watched with widened eyes as the door creaked open slightly; brilliant bright light escaping as a green and black boot was the first thing to be seen. Bardock, everything on his body torn save his headband, walked towards them with a serious expression on his face. Even from the lookout, he could sense Buu down on Earth.

"Wow," Chi-Chi gasped as she reached out to touch Bardock's bicep. "Your muscles have gotten so much bigger! But something else... Something else is different. You're different somehow..."

Piccolo noticed too, but it wasn't his outer appearance. Something inside of the being who claimed he had no heart had changed. And the ones who caused it came out together, in their own bodies, and the Namek's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "Goten... Trunks... You kids look amazing."

Indeed, they did. The group's eyes widened in amazement at the power they were feeling radiating from their bodies, and this was them being unfused. Only Bardock knew what it was like once Gotenks was present. Chi-Chi immediately ran to her son's side, picking up and smooching his cheeks so much that they left red lipstick stains on them. Hearing his familiar giggle, they all sighed in relief knowing that his personality hadn't changed one bit.

Bulma raised an eyebrow when she noticed a figure wearing a tattered green gi was hiding behind Bardock's legs still. "Trunks? What's wrong? Aren't you happy to see your Mama?"

"Get out there, Shin."

"Shin?" Bulma blinked as Bardock was stifling in some laughter. "Why are you calling him that?"

Without warning Trunks, the Saiyan grandfather took a step aside while Bulma's loud scream nearly caused her to faint. Her son's beautiful hair was all shaved off, save a Mohawk-like section that resembled the Supreme Kai's hairstyle. The boy was staring down at his boots in shame, too embarrassed and red faced to look up at his mother.

"You jackass!" she screeched and launched herself at Bardock, knocking him over and trying to pull out his messy strands. "You ruined my baby's hair!"

"HE DID IT HIMSELF!"

The group all started laughing simultaneously, except 18 who just smirked, at the pair on the ground. Even Piccolo couldn't contain a short chuckle. If there was anything he'd learned during his time on Earth, it was that the women on it were the only ones stronger than Saiyans.


	21. Change of Heart

The steam coming from Majin Buu's tub could be seen fogging up all the windows of his man-made home. From the outside looking in, it was hard to tell that this being was the monster responsible for killing so many of the Earth's population. He was laughing, throwing the bubbles up in the air. Even making some of his own. Yes, from another's eye, they would believe that Majin Buu was an innocent, almost child-like, but hungry creation.

The inside told a different story.

Truly, the poor Majin was misunderstood. All he wanted to do was fight! And eat! It wasn't his fault that people could be so tasty; nor was it his fault that the ones who challenged him were too weak for his tastes.

Placing his chubby arms behind his head, Buu leaned back and took a deep breath while the hot water swirled around him. "Buu lonely," the Majin frowned. "Buu need warrior!" There was still another day left before that fighter that the messy-haired man had promised would arrive, if he wasn't being a liar. Buu continued to frown as he jumped out of his tub and changed back into his clothes.

"We'll be watching from afar, champ!"

"Huh?" the Majin tilted his head slightly and wandered over to the window to see where the new voices were coming from. He watched as a helicopter flew into the mountains, leaving a terrified afro-haired man to himself. A small grin crossed Buu's face while he clapped his hands together. "Ooh! He look strong! Maybe he'll want to fight!"

"You can't just leave me here!" the man called, but it was obvious the men in the helicopter had already made their decision. "I'm... I'm the champ..." He lowered his head, looking down at the ground until the thoughts of his fans begging him for help caused a new and refreshed look of determination to cross his features. Unzipping his backpack, he smirked at all the weapons he had prepared to kill the monster.

"I can just hear it now," he laughed loudly, throwing his head back to do so until he brought his attention back to his belongings. "Hercule Satan saves the world once again-" The sound of something hitting the ground behind him caused him to become silent. Ever so slowly, he turned around and began to tremble once he saw the pink menace.

"Hello!" Buu placed his hand in his mouth out of confusion when the strange man immediately froze where he stood. "You come to see Buu!?"

"Uh," the terrified man began sweating immensely, and then started laughing uncontrollable as he bowed repeatedly in front of the pink being. "Yes! Yes I have come to see Buu! It's so nice to finally meet ya! I've been waiting for this moment ever since you first arrived!"

Buu frowned and placed his gloved hands on his rounded waist. "Buu thought man was strong; Buu was wrong. Buu eat you now."

"NO!" Hercule cried, immediately digging into his bag and whipping out a blue box with a red ribbon. "Don't eat me! I have some chocolates for you right here! The best in the entire world; can't find it anywhere else! Nope, you can't!"

Majin Buu squinted his eyes into a glare at the world's champion, but shrugged off his suspicions. The chocolates he was holding sure did smell tasty, and perhaps this man wasn't quite... kosher. He seemed rather sweaty. Besides, he's the first person to come and offer the poor creature a gift and Buu wasn't going to deny it! "Okay!" he beamed, and greedily snatched the box away from Hercule. One by one, he picked them out of the box and began swallowing them whole. "Buu like, Buu like!"

Hercule nearly fell over. One of his beautiful plans had failed; those chocolates were laced with enough cyanide to kill a water buffalo for crying out loud! Why wasn't it working on Buu!? Watching the pink menace toss the empty box aside, Mr. Satan decided not to waste anymore time and brought out his next weapon. "I'm sure all that chocolate has got you all worked up! Why don't you play a video game!?"

Buu cheered up even more when the man handed him the device. Hercule began explaining how to use it, and the pink creature was delighted upon seeing his Mr. Satan character defeat the other warrior on the tiny screen. The human began backing up to his bag once more when Buu began to fume as steam came out of his holes. "This game cheats!"

"Hold on, hold on!" Mr. Satan chuckled nervously, making his way to his bag finally while Buu angrily tapped the buttons over and over. "I'm sure I got some other game for ya!"

Yeah, a little game of plastic explosives...

Hercule chuckled evilly to himself while pulling out a button. Pressing it quickly, he began cheering as the handheld gaming device exploded in Buu's hands, killing him. The World Champion began dancing around in a circle, pumping his fists in the air. "Oh, yeah! Who saves the day once again? That's right! Miiiiiiiiiister Satan!"

"Buu like when video game go boom!"

Mr. Satan immediately dropped his head in defeat upon hearing the infant like Majin Buu begin to giggle and clap his hands. "Well, uh...that's most people's least favorite." The human's eyes widened as Buu closed the distance between them and smiled happily.

"Buu thinks you should be my friend!"

The afro-haired man rubbed the back of his head, and then smiled nervously at the being who had already murdered millions. What other choice did he have? "Sure," he said with a trembling breath and extended his hand forward for Buu to shake. "Why not?" To Mr. Satan's horror, instead of a handshake, he received some candy.

"This candy made from people is good! Eat it!"

Not sure which part he was more disgusted by, the fact Buu had pulled it out of his pants or the fact it was made out of his adoring fans, Hercule's eye began to twitch wildly. Noticing that the pink Majin was starting to become angry, the poor human quickly reached out and began eating it, hoping his soul would be forgiven for being a cannibal.

Buu smiled in delight as Mr. Satan ate the candy he himself personally loved. He did not know what that word meant, that 'friend' word, but he had heard it on the TVs in the windows while roaming throughout West City. The people on the small screen seemed so happy together, unlike how he was with his master Babidi. Perhaps, he had found someone that would smile along with him. This afro man had given him so many gifts, and reminded him so much of that little boy who told him he was beautiful.

The Majin watched with curiosity as Hercule dug out an object from his bag. Before he turned them into cake, he had seen people pointed that object at him. Scratching the back of his head, he pointed at it. "What is that?"

"This?" Hercule laughed, and a confident smirk crossed his features. "It's a camera! I need you to play a game with me. Does that sound fun, or what!?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Buu clapped excitedly, hopping from foot to foot in a dance. "Buu loves games!"

"Great! I just need you to lay down for me, alright?" He watched with relief as the evil being complied, laying facedown while he quickly set the timer on the camera to go off while standing on the back off Buu. He did a two-finger salute while the lights flashed and wasted no time getting off of his new friend. "Haha! Alright, games over! Time for me to go home-"

"No!" Buu pouted and wrapped his arm around Hercule's neck while the man momentarily forgot how to breath. "Buu want photo taken too!"

"Well," the man sweatdropped. "What pose do you want to do?"

Buu giggled once, and then quickly made his face the same confident expression Mr. Satan had on earlier while giving the two-finger salute in the same manner. Hercule managed to fake a smile before the lights flashed, and the two watched as the photo printed out immediately. Buu ran to it, grabbing it with his stubby fingers and cheering.

"How about I cook you about somethin' real nice? I'm quite the chef? Hm? Hm!?" he winked with pleading blue eyes at the creature, who just couldn't believe his luck.

Majin Buu had found a friend!

xxxxxxxxxx

Tufts of purple hair fell to the tiles of the lookout while numerous chuckles were directed at the sullen young boy. After Bulma had wrongly accused Bardock of the tragic haircut, the mother of one was now shaving her son's hair right off with the help of Mr. Popo's tools. The red faced Trunks glanced up as his trainer walked to the edge where Piccolo was standing.

"Trunks! If you move your head one more time, I'm going to cut your ear!"

"Sorry, Mom, sorry!" the lavender-haired boy's face turned an even deeper crimson until the others were becoming bored with the little scene. He expected them all to go off into their own special areas, but was surprised to see them all mixed together like they were some sort of family now. "Can I ask you something?" Trunks looked at his mother as she finally placed the razor down but not without an inquisitive look.

"What is it, sweetie?"

He took another look up at Bardock, who was having an inaudible conversation in the faraway area with Piccolo while Dende was quickly joining them. They were too busy with whatever they were talking about, so the boy knew he was in the clear. "While I was in there, Bardock told me something... interesting."

"Oh?" Bulma was more interested in his newly shaved head than his questions, rubbing a loving hand across his scalp while he blushed. "What did he tell you?"

Trunks cleared his throat, trying to sound a bit more clearer and a bit more like an adult so his mother would listen. "Something that happened when I was a baby. There was a visitor, from the future. Right?"

That got her attention.

Bulma's hand immediately froze on top of her son's head, beginning to sweat profusely until she snapped out of her shock. Laughing loudly and nervously, she patted his head frantically. "What!? That's crazy! Time travel doesn't exist! It's-"

"Mom..."

The blue-haired mother let out a defeated sigh, knowing her son could see through her just like her husband. "Oh boy..." she quickly glared at Bardock's back before turning her sapphire eyes back on Trunks. "What exactly did he tell you?"

The boy placed his chin in his hands, looking down at the tiles and picking at them with saddened eyes. "The future me sounded so cool, Mom. I still can't believe it, but I guess he was even stronger than Dad. He had a sword and everything; killed a really evil guy, too. Why can't I be like him?"

"What?" Bulma blinked and chuckled softly, placing a warm hand on his cold cheek. "You are him-"

"No, Mom! I'm not!" Trunks was now looking up at her with equal sapphire flames dancing in his eyes, but quickly looked back down when he felt tears beginning to brim. With a much lower voice, he added: "I'm nowhere near his level. Stronger than Dad? No..."

Bulma could feel her heart beginning to break seeing her son upset about something he shouldn't have ever known about; and for this very reason. Noting that Trunks allowed her hand to remain where it was, she cleared her throat to sound more positive. "Trunks, you're still so young! The boy from the future was eighteen. You've got time-"

"Age doesn't matter."

Trunks glanced up with shame written all over him while Bulma quickly whipped her head around to see Bardock standing behind her with his arms crossed over his tattered armor plated chest. Furrowing her eyebrows, the angry mother quickly got to her feet and placed her hands on her hips; the most deadly fighting position known to Saiyan kind. "And just where do you get off telling my son personal matters!? How the hell did you even know about that!?"

Bardock ignored the woman, gently pushing the fuming Bulma aside so he could face Trunks. He was once more looking down at the tiles with an embarrassed look, fiddling with his thumbs and disappointed in himself for letting Bardock hear all of those negative thoughts come to life. "Get up, kid. We need to talk."

"Ohhhh no!" Bulma interjected, placing herself back in between her son and the traitor. She spread her arms out and raised her chin a bit higher to show her authority. "You had a year's worth of time to talk to him. I believe your job is done now."

Looking at her expression caused Bardock to roll his eyes as images of Prince Vegeta flashed through his mind. There was no mistaking this was his mate of choice. Knowing that raising his voice to the earthwomen never got him anywhere except on the floor or with a broom poking him in the eyes, he placed his large hands on the rather dainty shoulders of this particular earthwoman and looked her dead in the eyes. "I saw you as a little brat riding a bike with my son. I know you care about this planet more than anyone. Can you please just give me one minute with your kid?"

Bulma raised an eyebrow at the way he was speaking through clenched teeth and then smirked. "Alright. But you have to give me a genuine smile."

More twitching than the Saiyan ever thought possible ran through his eye as the tiny female made the offer. Forcing his fangs to reveal themselves, Bulma shrieked and simpered away a bit. "Is this good enough?"

"You're so creepy looking when you do that!"

"Great. Go away now."

Bardock had to fight his smirk when he heard the woman growl, but Bulma walked away to join the others. Although Goku's father had found a way to her bad side momentarily, she knew that whatever he had to say was important. The scar-faced Saiyan glanced over in her direction to make sure she was with Chi-Chi. Noticing Goten was pouting by his mother's leg, Bardock motioned him to come over and join them. Happily doing so, the boy landed right beside his newly bald friend. "Trunks, I never want to hear you doubting yourself ever again. You got that?"

"Yes, but-"

"But, what!?" Bardock snarled, causing the mothers in the far-off corner to scowl at him as their sons frowned. "You were so confident before we left the chamber. What the fuck happened?"

"I'm sorry," Trunks tried to keep his voice and eyes steady as he looked into the pissed-off orbs of the grandfather Saiyan. "It's just... I can sense Majin Buu, all the way up here. I never thought I'd be able to do that, which is great. But... I don't know..."

"Yeah," Goten rubbed the back of his head, keeping his eyes closed to he wouldn't see his grandpa being grumpy. "I feel like the fight is going to be pretty boring!"

"Boring!?" Bardock raised an eyebrow, prepared to backhand the children when Trunks shook his head wildly.

"No, no! That's not it, stupid!" Trunks glared at Goten, who lowered his head in shame for a moment before the raised hand that was meant to be a slap turned into a sweet pat on the head from his grandfather. "You said the future me killed that Frieza guy so fast, but this Majin Buu guy is weaker than him and-" he raised a purple eyebrow when Bardock began chuckly darkly and shaking his head in disbelief. "What!?"

"This fatass is a lot stronger than Frieza," he continued to chuckle when Trunks' eyes began to widen. "Once you defeat him, you'll make a mockery of your future self. I promise."

"Wait..." Trunks pouted again, realizing something. "If Frieza is weaker, why did you guys have such a hard time killing him? You know, before I stepped in, of course." He flashed his bright white teeth at Goten, who clapped his hands in excitement.

"Well... Frieza was the strongest foe there was for us to face until all these other sinister assholes came into the picture," Bardock was actually surprised, having realized this himself. At this point in their lives, hell even Bardock himself could have a shot at killing Frieza. He shook his head, still not believing just how strong the Saiyans and half Saiyans were now. It was believed that it would take an entire army of them to take him down; but one punch from his son and eldest grandson could kill the bastard. "But things have changed so damn much, kids. This world, your home, the newest foe... It's only right for his demise to be met in your tiny little hands."

They immediately looked at their palms, and then back at each other with wild grins. "Wow!" Trunks' eyes grew twice their size. "So you really think I can be just like the future Trunks!? Except his Frieza is my Buu!?"

Now Bardock had a genuine smile. "Exactly. But remember, you still need help from your little buddy, alright? Be smart. Do exactly as we trained; and keep Gotenks in check and in his final transformation at all costs. He's an incredibly fast learner... And I know it's not possible without you kids. We're going to head down there in a bit, alright?"

"Why not now?" Trunks asked, completely respectfully and just out of simple curiosity for a change. It was a change Bardock was relieved to see. "We're as ready as we're ever going to be."

"You are," Bardock smirked, agreeing with the child completely until he gestured over to where the children's mothers were. "But remember what I said about being a kid whenever you had the chance?"

A slow, grateful smile crossed Trunks' face as he nodded at Bardock. "Yeah. I understand now. Thank you... grandpa." He blushed immediately, wanting to curse under his breath if he were the one to do so, and quickly ran to his mother's side to avoid any awkward silences between the Saiyan grandfather that would surely have happened.

Bardock, however, was not feeling awkward in the slightest bit. The only thing that was wrong after Trunks had called him that term, that term that signified him as a family member, was the painful feeling swelling up in his chest. The messy-haired Saiyan still had no idea what the hell it was. He finally glanced away from Trunks interacted with his mother to see Goten looking a bit jealous. "What's wrong with you, kid?"

"Well," he shuffled his feet a bit, afraid of what the scar-faced one would say. "Remember how it was just you and me at the beginning? You taught me how to fly... You kept the monsters away at night... We spent all day together! Now it's like I have to share you," the boy's pout was bigger than any other one he had ever put on. "Just like I have to share Gohan with Videl!"

"You think I just forgot about all of those things?" Bardock shook his head and sat cross-legged on the floor, gesturing for Goten to come sit on the tiles beside him. The boy did so, but looked forlorn the entire time. He didn't even look at his grandpa; just at the black lines on his little boots. "Trunks lost the only male figure in his life, Goten. His father. I couldn't just push him to the side and give all my attention to you."

"I know," the sad child sighed into his knees that were now pulled up against his chest. "I can't believe that happened to Trunks. And I know his father was around a lot longer, but... But I lost mine, too!" The tears that were beginning to fall out of Goten's eyes use to cause Bardock to become uncomfortable, but now he was beginning to learn how to shut them up. It worked pretty well on the earthwomen, too. Placing one arm around the child, he brought him in closer to his side while the child cried into his chest.

"I know it sucks, kid. I know," he rubbed his back, slightly turning red when he realized Videl and Chi-Chi were pointing and whispering. "But you have me, and I'm not going anywhere."

Goten pulled himself back immediately, his eyes puffy but in a scowl. "How do I know that!? What if the bright light that brought you here takes you away and I never ever see you ever again in my entire life!?"

The pain began to grow increasingly worse, not realizing that it was a possibility. Bardock had no control over his curse; the visions nor the time travelling. He swallowed hard, not understanding why he was beginning to feel sick. "You'll... You'll always have the memory of me, then."

"Not good enough," Goten whispered, unable to make his voice sound any higher. He was just so sad by all the losses in such a short amount of time. "Not good enough."

The grandfather searched the eyes of his youngest grandson, trying hard to find a way to cheer him up but knowing he could never lie to the kid. He cared way too much about him to do that. Bardock could never lie to any of them. He looked at his red wristband that was damaged in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber and took his arm off Goten momentarily. Removing the material, he proceeded to grab the boy's hand gently and slid the wristband down his sleeved arm, resting on top of his clothing.

"A part of me to carry with you."

Goten observed the red material with bright and wide eyes, completely shocked at the gesture yet overjoyed at the same time. He immediately rolled up the sleeve on his other arm to reveal a navy blue wristband. He removed it and put it on his grandfather's wrist in the same manner. Once he was finished, he smiled as sweetly as he could and wrapped his little arms around Bardock's neck. "I love you, Grandpa!"

Slowly, the Saiyan placed his hands on the back of his little leech. He raised one of his wrists a bit higher to observe the way that the wristband strangely fit perfectly despite their difference in size. There was so much he wanted to say to his grandson at the moment, and the words were on the tip of his tongue...

"Always," he managed to say a part of it. "Always."

xxxxxxxxxxx

Gohan rested his head in his hands, listening to the conversation his father and grandmother were having. Sighing deeply, he looked up from the grass and at the wrinkled face of Elder Kai. "Uhm, excuse me, sir? Do you think it's alright if you could ask my family to stand behind you so I can look at them? I haven't seen my grandma since... Well, ever."

Elder Kai flipped a page on his comic book, chuckling with delight and ignoring the frustrated teen.

"Please..."

"Fine," the old man spoke, not taking his eyes off the cartoon images while signaling for Goku and Gine to come up behind him. "Just don't talk so much. And I wouldn't recommend moving, either."

"Every part of my body is asleep, anyway," he muttered but his dark orbs light up a bit brighter once he saw his grandmother smiling down at him. Behind her was his father, donning the same goofy grin as her. "How are you guys? How is everyone on Earth?"

"I think they're fine," Goku chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head. "I mean, I can sense that everyone is still alive and well... But that includes Majin Buu. I just wish I could see everything that's going on!"

"So impatient," Elder Kai cackled and shook his head. The Saiyans watched as he held his palm out, and soon a crystal orb appeared. "Catch, Goku!" He threw the orb behind him, and the messy-haired male caught it with excitement dancing across his orbs as the lookout appeared clear as day.

"Wow!" He held it tightly and began walking away from his mother, son, and the one who gave him the object he was so fascinated in. "This crystal ball is incredible! Hey guys, check it out!" Gine watched in disbelief as her son had abandoned them to join Supreme Kai and Kibito in a nearby tree to watch everything that was happening. Running long fingers through her hair, she turned her attention back to Gohan who was looking as miserable as ever.

"You know something?"

"What?" Gohan couldn't help but return the sweet smile she was giving him. There was something about his grandma that brought a calm aura around, just the same as his father.

"You look so much like your mother," she sighed and placed a hand against her heart as if it were aching. "King Kai helped me get a glimpse of her, and she's absolutely beautiful. So is that girlfriend of yours! The men in this family have excellent taste, don't they?"

The teenager blushed immediately, while Elder Kai began to snap his fingers. "Focus! Keep your attention on me!"

"Sorry," Gohan whispered and glanced up at his grandmother apologetically. "I guess this is a bad time to get close to you, Grandma. I promise as soon as I get the chance, we'll talk."

Gine kindly waved him off, not a bit offended. "Oh, don't worry. I understand. Just do what you need to do. But there is something I wanted to tell you, just so you know this is all worth it."

The grandson's eyes widened immediately with interest, speaking loudly despite Elder Kai's protests. "What is it!?"

The female Saiyan smiled slyly, feeling like she wasn't suppose to give it away but knowing it was something her grandson needed to hear at the moment. "You wanna know why Bardock went to the lookout and left you to come here alone?" When he shook his head, she clasped her hands together. "He had a vision of you. You were so, so strong. As strong as your father. And you didn't even look different."

"What.. What do you mean?"

She pointed at Elder Kai and winked. "I mean, this guy is the real deal!" Gine started to walk towards her son, but not before glancing over her shoulder one last time at her stunned grandson. "And I can't wait for you to show that Buu freak who you really are!"

Gohan watched as his grandmother walked away, feeling a whole lot of pride swelling up in his chest as he sat up straighter. Her voice was laced with the truth, and her orbs revealed honesty that let him know Elder Kai wasn't a joke. He smiled brightly at the old Shin-jin, prepared to be silent and focused for the remaining hours. He began to get excited when the Elder Kai closed his comic book and glanced over his shoulder at the female Saiyan.

"You know," he spoke lowly, turning his attention back to Gohan. "I wasn't sure of it then, but I'm absolutely positive now."

The teen raised an eyebrow. "Of what, exactly?"

"Your hot grandma!" he howled, slapping the ground while Gohan nearly fell backwards onto it. "Did you hear what she said about me!? This old man's still got it, and she's going to get that kiss alright!"

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Majin Buu skipped down the road, happily bringing Mr. Satan the milk he had asked for. His friend had warned him not to make sure it was made from people, but the poor creature saw the opportunity and took it. "Buu like people milk, anyway!" he sang. "Mr. Satan doesn't need to know!"

He came to a halt when he heard the screeching sound, followed by a loud whimper. He looked up from his large milk carton and saw a black pickup truck speeding towards him. As it closed in, he extended his arms and grabbed it by the hood. He flung it like a piece of lint towards the canyons below, and continued skipping down the road to his home while people screamed bloody murder until there was nothing.

"Hm?" he tilted his head in confusion, seeing a bleeding animal on the ground. "What is this?" His curiosity got the best of him as he knelt down and picked the creature up in his arms. The animal continued to whimper, but licked his arm to show his gratefulness. Buu began laughing with delight feeling the slimy tongue touch his skin, and immediately returned the ache. The long tail of the wounded creature wagged like crazy, but that's all it could do to show its happiness.

Buu frowned, holding it closer against his chest as he approached Mr. Satan, who was standing outside the house looking at some pictures. "Why is it not happy with Buu?"

"Huh?" Hercule blinked his blue eyes, looking over the animal in the Majin's arms. "Oh! That's a puppy dog, Buu! And it looks like he's been injured!"

"Oh!" Buu nodded knowingly, and placed the puppy on the ground. Hercule watched in amazement as the pink being held his hands over the puppy until shimmering light descended from his palms. Ever so slowly, the dog's leg began to twitch until it realized it wasn't broken anymore. He immediately got to his feet, whining and wagging his tail while trying to jump up to Buu's face to kiss him.

Still, the Majin wasn't pleased. "Puppy no fear Buu?"

"Nope," Hercule grinned. "It looks like he wants to play with you!"

"Play?" Buu tilted his head.

"Yeah! Go run or something! He's so darn happy, I bet he'll follow you!"

The Majin grinned. "Okay! Okay!" He began running, and then looked over his shoulder to squeal in delight as the puppy was following right at his heels. Taking this in, Hercule Satan shook his head and looked back down at the photos in his hands; the ones he was going to show the media so they'd know he was once again the world's hero.

All Buu needed was a friend. He's so innocent...

Feeling frustrated with himself for the first time in a long time, he tore the picture of him standing victoriously over Majin Buu's body to shreds and placed the one of them smiling side by side in the pocket of his robe.

xxxxxxxxx

"Restrain your power," Bardock warned as the boys along with Piccolo followed him down to Earth. "I know this pink freak has strong senses, but we have to do what we can to have the upperhand. Got it?"

"Got it!" they said in unison.

The Namek's eyes wandered over to an elderly couple making their way down an deserted road and shook his head. "Do you believe this? They really think leaving one section of this planet will save them from Majin Buu."

The group of four landed on a patch of grass with silent thuds, eyeing the couple. Goten gasped loudly, picking up some energy coming from a cliff high above them. "Grandpa! Oh, no! I think they're going to shoot them!"

"What!?" Trunks growled, seeing the gunmen as well. The blonde man was aiming right at the old woman and the lavender-haired boy immediately began to tug on Bardock's leg; his best friend not taking long to join in. "You gotta stop them! You gotta!"

"Any movement from him will surely let Majin Buu know we're here," Piccolo snapped. "I can't believe people are acting so uncivilized in a time like this, but they can always be brought back to life-"

"Please, Grandpa! Please!"

"Please, Bardock!"

"I can't..." the Saiyan closed his eyes tightly, not wanting to see when the bullet hit.

"Please..."

"You can't let this happen... It's wrong!"

"You told us to save our energy! We can't do it ourselves!"

"Boys! Leave him alone, now!"

"BARDOCK!"

"GRANDPA!"

When the Saiyan opened his eyes, he found himself facing a trembling old man and woman with a bullet in his hands. The couple dropped to their knees immediately, bowing down graciously at the messy-haired hero who had just saved their lives. "Thank you," the old man cried out. "Thank you so much! May the gods bless you for the rest of your life! We are forever grateful!"

Bardock looked over his shoulder at the cliff to see that the gunmen had disappeared; and he wasn't interested in following them. "Save your blessings," he glowered down at the old folks. "Just get out of here while you can." He cursed under his breath at himself before reaching a hand down to help the old man up, and was silently thankful that he helped his wife up so the grumpy Saiyan didn't have to.

"What's your name?" the old man called as Bardock began to walk away.

"Great Saiyaman," he replied sarcastically, earning a faraway snort from Trunks while the elderly couple held hands tightly and watched as their hero disappeared from sight.


	22. The Pain of Loss

"I don't have much time," King Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest but there was something hidden behind his dark orbs that let the prince know he didn't want to leave. "Yemma sent me here momentarily, but I have yet to figure out why. It's a lot better than having your body tortured, believe me."

In the same position standing across from each other, the father and son stared at another for a moment in silence before the prince finally spoke. "So, this will be the only chance I'll get to see you. I must say," he looked around at the white void and scoffed. "That red bastard could have picked a more decent location." Still, Vegeta was a bit intrigued as to the reason why King Yemma had possibly brought them here together. Surely, by now, his father should by all means have lost his body and his soul be existing within someone else. At least, that's what he always thought happened to those in Hell who had been there long enough.

King Vegeta searched his son's confused orbs, and then chuckled darkly and briefly before straightening up a bit. "What gave you that halo on your head, anyway? Surely the foe that the prince of all Saiyans faced must be too powerful for us all if it sent you here." The bearded Saiyan raised an eyebrow, noticing that his son's hands were clenching into fists and his eyes were looking down at his boots. "Son-"

Vegeta's eyes immediately snapped back up into a glare, but it wasn't meant for his father. "Yes. Unbelievably strong..." he voice became a murmur as he lowered his head back down. "I came at him all wrong. If I had a chance to face him again, I'd do it differently. There'd be now blowing myself up; only his dead body to hang on a mantle."

"You... you blew yourself up?" King Vegeta blinked, honestly shocked. When he saw his son bring his attention back to him again with a small nod, the king's jaw dropped slightly. "I didn't know we could do that..."

"Yeah, well, it's not all that great," Prince Vegeta shook his head, deciding to change the subject immediately. He didn't want to be reminded that his sacrifice was all in vain; that the pink blob was still alive and out there in his world. "Father, are you absolutely positive you don't know why King Yemma brought you here?"

"Completely," the king nodded and then smirked after thinking quietly for a moment. "Although, since we are together, I guess it wouldn't hurt if you could inform me on your life up to this point."

The similar smirk wasn't lost on the son's face as he returned it immediately, prepared to show him something that would definitely impress his old man. "Father, do you remember the stories you told me about the Super Saiyans of legend?"

The king finally uncrossed his arms, placing them on his hips while trying to remember. "Yes... But exactly as you said, they were just legends. Why?"

Prince Vegeta began chuckling darkly as he closed his eyes, hoping being in purgatory didn't hurt his chances of transforming. Already beginning to feel the energy, his father gasped loudly once the jet black hair of the prince turned golden. "Wh-What's this?" he began backing up as the golden aura continued to grow and grow. The king nearly froze once his son revealed icy green orbs. "V-Vegeta... Are you-"

"That's right, father," the prince took a few steps toward the motionless male. "I'm a Super Saiyan."

"...A Super Saiyan..." his father managed to breath out, and then dropped to his knees after not being able to handle his trembling legs any longer. This entire time, through his life and afterlife, King Vegeta never thought he'd see the legend came true. To make it even more astounding, that legend was his son. His own flesh and blood. The prince, a Super Saiyan! "Son... I-I don't believe this."

Vegeta smirked, the look on his father's face stroking his ego even more. Hell, as far as he was concerned, his father had no idea about Kakarot or his low-class dog of a father. The prince was the real legendary Super Saiyan now, and there was nobody around to tell him otherwise. "That's not all. Your grandson achieved the transformation at the minuscule age of eight."

The King was getting to his feet, but nearly keeled over again at the news. His eyes were as wide as Dragon Balls as he looked warily at his son. "Eight!? My grandson..." The newly informed grandfather found the strength to straighten up a bit and brush invisible dirt off himself. He knew his son's green eyes were speaking the truth, and an overwhelming amount of pride began swelling up in his chest. "That's incredible... My boys.. They're legends."

Vegeta shrugged it off, but there was a slight reddening happening to his face as he heard his father praise him. At last, he was finally getting the respect that had been missing for years; and to think, it was all coming from the man he had always tried to impress! "I've got one more thing to tell you, Father. You may want to grab onto something for this."

The king shook his head, a small smile beginning to take over his lips. "It's impossible to be even more stunned than I already am. But please, do tell."

"My son killed Frieza."

The prince watched in horror and slight amusement as his father's eyes rolled to the back of his head, collapsing onto the white floor.

xxxxxxx

"I'm hungry."

"Shut up."

"I'm thirsty."

"Shut up."

The boys fumed, lowering their heads to look at their boots while mumbling under their breaths. Those were the only two words Piccolo and Bardock would tell them on their way to Majin Buu's house! As if they weren't taking their needs seriously! Trunks elbowed Goten, letting him know he was going to try a different approach. "Yo, Bardock! You better get us some breakfast or else we can't fight Buu!"

"Yeah!" Goten interjected. "We'll die right before anything starts!"

"Breakfast!?" Piccolo was the first to snap. The two adults were walking in front of the boys with clench fists the entire time, trying hard to ignore the nagging voices just begging to get punched. He turned his entire body around to glare at the children, who were now shaking in fear at his sudden outburst. "That's what your concerned about!? Breakfast!?"

"N-No," Trunks shook and pointed an accusing finger at Goten. "He is."

"Am not!" Goten whined, and tugged on his grandfather's arm since his back was still facing them all. "Grandpa! Why do we keep walking!? That Buu monster is so close! Can't we just fight him already and go eat?"

"No," Bardock ordered without turning around. His eyes were closed while they momentarily stopped walking, picking up an extremely strong ki along with an extremely weak one alongside it. His black eyebrows furrowed, not understanding. "Piccolo."

The Namek turned his attention away from Trunks, sending waves of relief through the boy as he no longer had to stare at the scary green dad, and looked at the scar-faced Saiyan. "What's wrong?"

"What you and Dende were observing from the lookout," he slowly opened his eyes, resting the dark orbs on Piccolo who was taking on a more serious expression. "What was it? Who is that with Majin Buu?"

Piccolo shook his head, and crossed his large arms over his chest. "You're not going to believe this, but do you remember Videl's father? The one who took credit for defeating Cell?" The Namek chuckled when he saw Bardock's lips twist up in disgust. "Yeah. It's him."

"No fucking way," Bardock blinked twice, and his orbs began to widen. "How the hell is he still alive!?"

"It seems he made friends with Majin Buu... There's a change in that pink fiend's heart, as well."

The Saiyan raised an eyebrow, ignoring the sound of the children's stomachs rumbling. "So what the hell does this mean? He's one of the good guys now?" Bardock immediately began rubbing his temple, his mind bringing him back to the visions of the smaller version of Buu and the leaner version of him. Was there more than one Majin Buu out there waiting for them all? "No.. That's not right... He transforms. The Buu you remember won't be around much longer."

"Visions?" Piccolo asked, and when Bardock nodded he continued. "Well, I guess it's best to kill the fat one before anything else happens. But what are we going to do about Mr. Satan?"

"Kill him?"

"Bardock... It's Videl's father."

"Fine," the Saiyan sighed and scratched the back of his head. "I guess we have to get the idiot out of here before the boys start. I don't want them fusing until the right moment. We only have thirty minutes to get this done. Did you hear that boys?" Bardock glanced over his shoulder to see Goten and Trunks taking on a suddenly more serious role, saluting him like he was their commander.

"Yes. Sir!"

"No more breakfast?" Piccolo smirked, and it grew even more when they shook their heads. The Namek then proceeded to place a hand on Bardock's shoulder. "I'm judging by your stance that you're going to get Mr. Satan away from Buu?"

"Unfortunately," Bardock frowned, prepared to take flight when a blonde, long-haired man wearing a long-sleeved black shirt landed on his feet. "The fuck?" He exchanged a look with Piccolo, who just shrugged. The children quickly joined in, and the four were standing in a circle around the human who had seemed to fallen from the sky.

"Take that!" they heard the familiar voice of the loud-mouthed Hercule coming from above the cliff where he must have kicked the man off of; but they were hidden by all the trees. "Shooting an innocent puppy! Shame on you! Don't ever come back, or you'll get beaten even worse!"

"Is he dead?" Goten tilted his head, observing the body on the ground. He bent down to grab a stick and began poking the man with it, and screamed once he heard him grumble. "Eek! He's alive!"

"Well, yeah, that Satan death punch doesn't really live up to its name," Piccolo snorted and then his eyes narrowed. "Hey, I recognize this guy. He's that freak who tried to shoot that elderly couple."

Sure enough, Bardock caught sight of the gun he was still holding onto tightly with his left hand. There was blood beginning to trickle down his nose, and slight twitches of his body began. Once the blonde man opened his eyes, he quickly got to his feet and aimed his rifle right at the Saiyan's head. "Move and I'll shoot you!"

The messy-haired male raised an eyebrow. Where had he heard this before...? "Oh, no. You got me."

"I'll fucking do it!" he screamed, causing the children to shake their heads at his profanity. It was only okay if Bardock did it. "Don't think I won't do it! You're better off with me killing you anyway before that sick fuck Majin Buu does it himself! The world is all topsy-turvy now, even our hero Hercule Satan has turned his back on us to be a servant for that monster! So I don't even care what happens anymore!" Without another word, he shot Bardock's forehead. The Saiyan contemplated for a moment, wondering if he should go along with it or just get the pest out of the way.

"You humans are so pathetic. At least that buffoon punches," Bardock smirked at flicked the bullet he had caught between his fingers to the side. "You just coward behind your weapons."

Frustrated and frightened, the man fired rapidly and even shot a couple of times at Piccolo and the boys. When Goten began getting hit, he pouted. "Ow! They feel like bug bites!"

"Yeah," Trunks glared up at his other mentor, the green one. "What are these, anyway?"

"Just another annoyance," Piccolo mumbled and then spoke louder. "Bardock, why don't you just get rid of him? This will just drag on and on."

The father of Goku glanced over his shoulder at the Namek. "You sure? I'm trying to redeem myself here. I don't want to kill the bastard," he turned his attention back to the trembling gunmen, who was now lowering his rifle. "Or do I?" When the blonde man shot at him again, Bardock frowned and reached his arm out to grab him by the collar of his black shirt. Without using any of his power, he flung him in the opposite direction they were heading. Once the man was completely out of sight, Goten was laughing loudly.

"That was cool, Grandpa!"

Bardock simply shrugged and closed his eyes once more. Majin Buu's power was no longer rising rapidly; and the Saiyan assumed it was because Hercule scared the gunman away. The time traveler clenched his fists tightly, his head pounding while Hercule's voice ran through his mind. Buu was angered due to someone shooting a puppy, most likely his own. Meaning...

"Bardock?" Trunks asked with pure concern, poking his forearm. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," the grandfather reopened his eyes and pushed Trunks aside. From where they stood, they could see the dog shaped house that Majin Buu had built out of people and animals. Through the window, Bardock could see Mr. Satan cooking and smiling. There was that damn strange feeling beginning to form in his chest, but he shook it off. Without turning around, he spoke to the boys and Piccolo before heading towards the house. "You just wait for the signal and fuse. Come out, and give it all that you got. We're not going to give him a chance to transform."

"Be careful, Bardock," Piccolo warned the to disappearing back of the Saiyan. "It's true Majin Buu has changed, but he can still kill you if you came off the wrong way."

"Don't worry," the Saiyan looking over his shoulder and gave the surprised Namek a wink. "I've got an ace up my sleeve."

The three watched Bardock as he made his way, and Piccolo looked down at the eager looking children. "Boys, what did he mean by that?"

"I dunno," Goten smiled brightly, his white teeth almost blinding the Namek. "But me and Trunks weren't the only ones training for a year, ya know!"

xxxxxxx

"What's he doing?" Goku blinked at the crystal ball in his arms. His mother was leaned up against his shoulder, while Supreme Kai and Kibito were watching from the other side. A smile began to grow slowly on the messy-haired hero's face until it took over him completely. "Oh! I get it! He's trying to get Mr. Satan out of the way. What a guy!"

"What a change," Gine added, holding her hand to her beating heart. "That man... I never thought I'd see the day he'd do something for someone other than his family."

While Kibito was still being his pouty self, occasionally glancing over at the increasingly bored Gohan, Supreme Kai joined in with the two happy Saiyans. "Yes, it's miraculous, isn't it? Bardock is a bit rough around the edges, but he has proven to be a very big help. If he's taught the children well, and alongside Gohan's new abilities that are sure to come, I know Majin Buu will finally see death!"

"No worries there," Goku beamed. "I saw how those kids looked up to him when I left. They won't let him down."

Gine frowned, punching her son in the shoulder while he winced at the unexpected occurrence. "That should have been you, Kakarot."

"What?" he pouted innocently, lowering his head. "What do you mean, Mom?"

The only female Saiyan sighed, placing an arm around her son. "I mean exactly what I said, Kakarot. This experience has been amazing for and on Bardock, but that should have been you with your son. I really hope you do take my advice and stay with them, if you ever have the chance again. I bet you everything I have that your father wishes he could have raised both you and Raditz differently."

Goku was silent for a moment, honestly taking in what she was saying. His family and friends were always treating him like a hero no matter what; never showing that they needed him or making him feel like he made a mistake. Have they been lying to him to make him feel better? Or because they knew it was for the best? The hero's frown deepened. Instead of replying to his mother, he spoke into the crystal ball. "Show me the lookout."

The four around the orb watched as it listened to the messy-haired Saiyan. Gine smiled to herself when it immediately showed Chi-Chi, who was sitting on the white steps with Videl. "My daughter-in-law and your future daughter-in-law," the woman sighed dreamily, reaching her hand out to the crystal ball and touching it as if she could hold her other family that way. "I wish I could meet them... Well, maybe that's not such a good idea. I can definitely wait on that." Watching her son laugh and then continue to watch his wife with a sad smile, Gine remembered something she had been wanting to tell her son for a long time. "Oh, Kakarot. I met a woman in Other World. With all the training you've been doing, I doubt you've seen here."

"A woman, huh?" Goku tilted his head. The only women he knew were the ones currently on the lookout and now his mother. Why was she talking about another one? "Who?"

"The mother of your wife," Gine smiled, and it only grew when Goku nearly dropped the crystal ball. He handed it over to Supreme Kai, who was equally indulged in the story after realizing there was nothing else to do until Gohan was ready. "She was in a meadow. I saw her there after Yemma gave me my body. She already had hers, because she was a warrior long ago. Stronger than me, at least."

"Chi-Chi's mom," Goku shook his head, looking up into the sky momentarily and frowning when he brought his attention back to his mother. "She's been in Other World the entire time, and I never even tried to see her... I never saw you."

Gine pulled her son in closer and tighter, letting him silently know he was forgiven and understood. His messy-hair, same as his father's which caused her to smile, rested on her shoulder and she kissed it gently. "I told her all about you, and the little I know about Chi-Chi. She was so happy, Kakarot. Same as me, the last time she held her child was when Chi-Chi was a baby."

"What happened to her?" Goku spoke into her shoulder, taking in his mother's scent. It reminded him so much of his wife, and was beginning to understand why baby Gohan always calmed down once she held him.

"Died of an illness before she could even seen Chi-Chi turn one," Gine shook her head, and then rested it against her son's. "I bet she would love to be alive and see her grandchildren and daughter. And I guess her goofy son-in-law."

Goku sat up suddenly, put his attention was on the grass and not his mother. "Was her illness natural."

"I'm pretty sure," When her son remained silent, she continued. "Why?"

"Nothing," Goku smiled sadly at his mother finally and shrugged. "I just thought for a moment she could be wished back to life with the Dragon Balls-" his eyes turned extremely wide, frightening Gine just a bit.

"K-Kakarot? What is it?"

"You didn't die of a natural cause, did you?"

Before the woman could answer, Supreme Kai spoke first. "I'm so sorry to interrupt you guys, but can you sense that!? Back on Earth!? Something terrible is happening!"

Goku growled slightly under his breath, feeling slightly sickened that the new and high power he was feeling was coming from Majin Buu. Supreme Kai immediately handed him the crystal ball when the screaming started, and they fell into gut-wrenching silence at what they saw.

xxxxxxxx

"This is going to be the best soup of your life, Buu!" Hercule sang with a giant smile only he could wear, stirring the hot pot on the stove while Buu was feeding Bee some dog treats. "I guarantee it!"

"Yay, yay!" Buu cheered, and then grew suddenly silent when he noticed a familiar looking messy-haired man in the window. "Mr. Satan," he spoke without taking his eyes off the scowling man. "Strong man is outside."

"Strong man?" Hercule raised an eyebrow, turning around to look at Buu before glancing at the window. "The only strong man here is me! The champ!" He began howling loudly, placing a spoonful of soup in his mouth and then proceeding to spit it all out at Bardock's face. "It's-It's you! The guy who was with the skinny kid that gave my daughter that bean thing!"

Looking even grumpier than ever, Bardock wiped the soup off his face with the only red wristband he had left, careful to make sure he didn't ruin the one Goten gave him. "Yeah. Look. We need to talk, Satan. Why don't you come outside?"

Hercule sweatdropped, remembering the fight that happened between him and the Great Saiyaman. He couldn't remember Bardock being at the Cell Games, but he definitely did turn golden like the rest of them. The afro-haired man quickly glanced at Majin Buu, who was eyeing Bardock suspiciously and immediately felt safe. "Why don't you come in here and sit with my friend and I? We are about to have dinner, and you know how rude it is to interrupt dinner!"

"It's breakfast time," Bardock scoffed. "And I don't think so. Come out now, Satan. Or else."

"Or else, what!?" Buu said, standing up and causing Bardock to curse under his breath. The Majin was Hercule's fat body guard, and definitely wouldn't let him out of sight. The scar-faced Saiyan knew Hercule wasn't going anywhere, either. At the very least, if he stayed on Hercule's good side, Buu wouldn't try anything.

"Nothing," Bardock sighed and reluctantly crawled through the window. He threatened Hercule with his eyes, causing the human to jump back a few feet. Pulling out a chair directly across from Buu who was now sitting back down to play with his puppy, Bardock sat and watched the Majin play with raised eyebrows. "Nice dog."

"Bee!" Buu sang, and clapped his hands together. "His name is Bee!"

"Buu-Bee. Clever," Bardock placed his elbows on the table, resting his chin in one hand while watching Hercule nervously pour soup into three separate bowls. "So how long do you plan on living out here, Hercule?"

"Uh," Hercule chuckled, placing a steaming bowl in front of his visitor. "Until the economy gets better! Isn't that right, Buu!"

"Okay!" Buu smiled up at his friend, who took a seat next to him and began eating without making eye contact with Bardock. Buu, however, was now highly interested in the visitor after realizing something. "You're the man from earlier, yes yes?"

"Hn?" Bardock looked up the empty bowl, having slurped it down within seconds. "What do you mean? And get me more, Hercule! You're a servant, aren't you?" As the World Champ hurriedly got up to get the golden fighter some more soup while cursing him out, Buu continued to press the scar-faced Saiyan.

"You promised me a strong fighter! Where is he?"

"Funny you should ask," Bardock smirked, secretly surprised by himself for acting so calm. "He's actually preparing himself right now for you. Really wants to play. How does that sound?"

"Yay! Buu-"

"World Champ, eh?"

The two at the table quickly turned their attention the bloody and dirtied blonde gunmen, who came through the window to aim his rifle right at the scowling Hercule. Bardock rolled his eyes while Buu held onto Bee tightly, trying to keep himself calm and not go against Hercule's wishes of no more killing. "This fucker just won't go away, will he?" Before Bardock could say any more, a loud gunshot was heard as Hercule fell onto the ground. The gunmen quickly escaped, and Buu became frozen in horror at the sight of his dead friend. "Well, shit. That sucks."

Bardock watched as Buu quickly jumped out of his seat, tears falling his eyes uncontrollably as he began healing his friend. A sickening feeling began forming in the Saiyan's chest when he realized something wasn't right. The steam coming out of Buu's holes, and the way he was struggling with his facial expressions, told Bardock to get back to the boys and Piccolo immediately.

He had already failed.

Majin Buu was transforming.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"W-What's that?" Trunks pointed a shaky finger at the sky, aiming it at a grey-colored and skinnier version of Majin Buu. He felt chills running all down his spine as he watched him attack and kill the blonde gunmen that was trying so hard to escape. "Did Buu already transform!?"

"I don't think that's the one Bardock saw in his vision," Piccolo snarled, standing protectively in front of the boys. "I don't... I don't know what this is. I think it's the evil that has been inside of him."

"So... Is that the guy we have to fight?" Goten asked, poking his head out from Piccolo's leg. "He looks kinda mean."

Piccolo scanned the area, finding Bardock standing in front of a terrified Hercule and a puppy. Even he could see the fear on Bardock's face as Majin Buu began battling the evil Buu. The Namek knew Bardock took this as a perfect opportunity to bring Mr. Satan to safety, and sure enough the Saiyan was right beside them dropping the human to his trembling feet.

"What's going on with Buu!?" Hercule cried out, watching in horror as his friend was getting overpowered by the skinny, darker Buu. "Who is that!? Are you going to save him!?"

Bardock spat. "Yeah, right. Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll both kill each other."

"No," Piccolo shook his head in disbelief. "No. Look. He just turned fat Buu into chocolate!

"God dammit!"

"BUU!" Hercule began to take off, but Piccolo grabbed him by the collar of his robe and threw him back. Glancing up at the tall Namek, Mr. Satan held Bee tightly in his arms. "Please... You need to do something..."

"Where are you going, Grandpa!?" Goten called out as his Bardock ran into the field despite the protest coming from the now cursing Piccolo. When the mini Goku tried doing the same, the Namek held him the collar.

"Stop it, Goten!" he yelled into the crying boy's face while Trunks couldn't take his eyes off his mentor. Bardock stood completely stunned as Evil Buu chomped down the chocolate with a sinister smirk, and slowly the ugly creature began transforming. "Do you see what's happening!? You boys need to start doing fusion, now! He's transforming!"Dropping the child to his feet, Piccolo blocked out the sounds of his cries and kept his eyes on Bardock.

What the hell are you doing...

Bardock cleared his throat as he looked up at the lean, taller version of Buu that he had seen kill Chi-Chi. The new Buu cracked his neck, moving his head around and grunting for a moment while the Saiyan tried controlling his breathing. Once Super Buu was comfortable in his body, he glowered down at Bardock. "Produce."

"Produce?"

"You promised me a warrior. Produce."

Bardock bit his lower lip until it bled slightly, and kept his fists clenched tightly to keep himself calm. This man had terrified and sickened him in his visions, but face to face was even worse. "He'll be ready. Just give him five minutes to prepare. That's all I'm asking. Five minutes."

Buu groaned, rolling his neck around and then looking at the Saiyan with red eyes. "I hate waiting," he yelled loudly, and then brought his attention to the sky as if he was sensing something up there. "One...Two...Three..."

Figuring he was counting the seconds, Bardock left Buu and went back over to the boys who were already equidistant apart with determination written all across their faces. "Remember. Super Saiyan 3. No less than that. Give him thirty minutes worth of hell and-"

"Eleven...Twelve...Thirten," Goten and Trunks stopped their dance when the four turned around to see what Buu was doing. Their eyes widened in horror as Super Buu raised his hand up in the air while a pink aura charged around his body. He was looking directly into Bardock's eyes, smirking evilly.

"What the hell is he doing!?" Bardock snarled. "He's already trying to attack us and it's only been thirteen seconds!"

"Do you really think he was going to give you time!?" Piccolo snapped, and then turned his attention to the terrified boys. "Hurry! Do the fusion! He's already attacking!"

"No," Trunks cried out, falling to his knees while looking at Buu with the most hateful expression any one of them had ever seen him wear. "He's not attacking us... Look..."

They watched helplessly and frozen as Buu fired a barrage of thirteen pink energy waves into the air, disappearing farther than they could see. Once his aura was gone, Buu placed his hand on his side and appeared right before Bardock, who was trembling with silent rage. "There. All thirteen of them are dead because you kept Majin Buu waiting."

"Who?" Goten whispered, leaning down to help his fallen friend up. "What is he talking about? Who's dead?"

"What do you have to say about that?" Buu continued to taunt Bardock, placing his hands on his hips while the Saiyan remained voiceless. "It's your fault they're dead."

"Bardock..." Piccolo breathed out, finally managing to speak. "What-" The Saiyan silenced him by raising his hand in the air. Without looking at Piccolo, he spoke through gritted teeth.

"Take the boys far away enough so they can fuse without interruption."

"Bardock-"

"Now."

Piccolo sighed, understanding how pained the Saiyan was but not knowing what he could possibly do. Without anymore protest, he grabbed the confused Goten and the sniffling Trunks by the collars of their gi and flew away to leave the Saiyan and Majin alone.

"Oh well," Buu shook his head. "They will die just the same. You will die first."

Bardock suddenly let out a blood curdling scream, one so loud that Piccolo froze in the air and Trunks' crying ceased. "BUU!" he continued to scream. "NOW YOU WATCH ME TRANSFORM, AND TAKE YOUR LIFE AWAY!" Buu continued to stand with his arms crossed over his chest, unimpressed by Bardock's speech. Piccolo raised an eyebrow when a white orb, one as bright as a full moon, formed in Bardock's hand. He threw it into the sky; Piccolo having to dodge it on its way.

"N-No way," Piccolo blinked, while Trunks and Goten looked at the false moon in wonder. "His tail..."

"Nice trick," Super Buu teased. "But you missed."

"Not quite."

Super Buu tilted his head in confusion as Bardock's chest, followed by his entire body, began beating wildly. Piccolo gasped seeing a very familiar sight, seeing Bardock's fangs along with everything else beginning to grow. Once his eyes turned red, Goten screamed. "Oh, no! My nightmare is coming true!"

"What!?" Piccolo snapped out of his shock, raising his left hand that held Goten to look into his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"One night when I couldn't sleep inside the chamber, I took a walk and found my grandpa staring up at the moon! I knew it was a nightmare right then because why would a moon be in there!? And then he turned into a giant gold gorilla and told me to go to sleep! It was scary!" He gasped loudly after turning his attention back to Bardock and pointing at the creature he now saw. "Yeah! Just like that!"

"Golden...?" Piccolo slowly followed Goten's line of vision to see exactly what he was talking about. Bardock, the Legendary Super Saiyan, was no longer standing there. In his place, was a great ape that looked exactly like Gohan's transformation during their training days except a brilliant golden color. "Of course," Piccolo managed to breath out. "Bardock is the only Super Saiyan with a tail... But just how strong is a golden Oozaru...Their hidden power..."

"Piccolo, can you please put us down?"

The Namek turned slightly pink, raising his right hand now to see a recovered Trunks. "Sorry, kid. I was a bit... lost. Let's see how much damage Bardock can do, and then you guys go out there. Alright?"

"Why are you so serious, Trunks?" Goten asked as they began to descend. "Was it about those thirteen people?"

"Don't you understand?" the son of Vegeta's voice was serious, even surprising Piccolo. "He killed our moms!"

Once they landed, Piccolo gently placed the boys on the ground and kept his attention on Goten, who was beginning to tremble. "The pain of loss," Piccolo spoke and looked up at the golden Bardock, shaking his head when he saw the scar still remained on the ape's face. He closed his eyes, picturing Gohan unleashing all of his pain on Cell. When he reopened his eyes, he saw the boys already performing their dance. "It does incredible things."


	23. Light in the Darkness

Videl sat on the white steps of the lookout, watching with curious eyes as the Namekian guardian Dende and his companion Mr. Popo were exchanging words inaudible to her human ears. She sighed loudly, resting her chin in her hands as she glanced over at Chi-Chi who was hand washing some of the dirty clothes the boys left behind in a jar of soapy water. Bulma was playing card games against Roshi and Krillin, with his wife standing behind the other two and trying to help him cheat. She smiled when she noticed their daughter was having the time of her life crawling on Ox King's shoulders like the mountain he was. Oolong was exchanging secrets with Yamcha and his cat, Puar, when the scarred human noticed the young girl staring at him.

"Hey, Videl! You bored or something?" he called out to her along with a chuckle.

Blushing at being caught, Videl frantically waved her hands in front of her while Chi-Chi raised an eyebrow. "N-No, not at all! I'm just worried about the boys, that's all!" Her future mother in law shook her head, shaking a wet piece of clothing and hanging it on the railing.

"There is absolutely nothing to worry about, Videl!" the woman beamed, slightly humming to herself as she hung up some more clothes. "Bardock and Piccolo wouldn't let anything happen to them, not to mention Gohan should be arriving to Earth soon!" Chi-Chi bit her bottom lip, lowering her head a bit suddenly. "Unless, Bardock was lying... But I'm sure he wouldn't do that to us. Not him."

"He's not lying," the short haired, blue-eyed girl smiled warmly while sitting up a bit straighter. "It's just like he told me back at the World Martial Arts Tournament. When you care about someone so much, you just know that they're near you or alive. Gohan is definitely alive. I feel it in my heart."

Chi-Chi dropped the pair of Goten's underwear to the tiles when she couldn't help but place both hands on her chest where her heart was pounding with excitement. Videl turned red when the mother of her boyfriend had eyes brighter than anything she had ever seen. "I knew it! I knew it! You love him, don't you!"

"Wh-wha!?" Videl panicked, and looked at her feet in hopes her crimson cheeks wouldn't rat her out. While Chi-Chi began cheering loudly about her son marrying a rich and courageous woman, Yamcha began strolling up to them with a sly smile on his face. The poor teenager groaned in embarrassment. "Oh, no! Not you, too! What do you have to say?"

"Nothing, nothing!" Yamcha chuckled, raising his hands in defense. Chi-Chi finally snapped out of her reverie, picking up the fallen pair of now cleaned underwear off the floor and hanging it up. "I just think it's funny how all these Saiyans always end up with the same type of woman."

The wife of Goku scowled, turning away from the railing and jabbing Yamcha in the chest with her ring finger. "Excuse me!? What's that suppose to mean?"

"Yeah," Videl joined in, standing by Chi-Chi's side with a similar expression that was proving the desert bandit's very point. "What is that suppose to mean?"

Yamcha began to sweatdrop, realizing that he really needed to work on the way he worded things. Rubbing the back of his head, he released another nervous laughter and tried to sound as sweat and convincing as possible so he wouldn't be having a knuckle sandwich for lunch. "N-Nothing! It just means that all the women they choose are very, very strong! And.. and... pretty? Gorgeous! Smart! Uh..."

Videl and Chi-Chi exchanged looks with each other, and their scowls immediately disappeared as they replaced it with laughter at the nervous man. Sighing in relief, Yamcha was about to say more when a very awful feeling ran through his body. He glared over his shoulder in horror while the screams began, and a strange red light out of what had to be a hundred in his fearful eyes already took its first victim. Chi-Chi cried out in horror as a red light shot through Ox's chest, killing him instantly. Yamcha was paralyzed, watching as Krillin knocked his wife over. The human couldn't see what happened next; as three red lights were charging towards the three on the steps.

The desert bandit turned his head back to Chi-Chi and Videl, and it was as if time slowed down. He looked into the dark orbs of the woman who was screaming out in pain of seeing her father die, and the young girl holding her back, the one who was so courageous and made him look extremely weak when she stepped out to get the Dragon Balls out of the dark ocean, was frozen. The scarred male saw images of Chi-Chi taking care of the bedridden Goku, when the two of them took care of the hero when his heart virus attacked. She wasn't meant to go. Not now. Not the one who held that family together for so long. And Videl... Who knows what she was meant for. If Dende had been killed by the ray already, there would be no wishing her back to life.

Knocking them over, Chi-Chi and Videl screamed when they saw three rays go right through Yamcha's body. The one through his heart, meant for Chi-Chi, burned a hole through the stairs so deep she could see the sky through it. The one through his torso, meant for Videl and as hard as he tried to block it, managed to go through her leg. Her painful cry was the last thing Yamcha heard as the ray that went through his head caused him to fall forward. His life left the body that laid between the girls.

Through her tears and coming out of her shock, Chi-Chi kissed her savior's forehead and gathered Videl into her arms. It had been a long time since she did any serious training, but the yoga with Bardock gave her the strength in her legs she needed. She fumbled through the broken tiles, desperately trying to find anyone breathing. Her tears increased when she saw 18 holding onto a breathless Krillin, with little Marron crying by her side. Underneath Roshi's lifeless body, she saw Bulma's arm twitching until the woman weakly blinked her eyes open.

"Videl," Chi-Chi's shaky voice whispered to the girl as she knelt down to place her on the tiles. The girl was trying to hold in her tears, and Chi-Chi couldn't stomach looking at the gaping, bloody hole in her leg. "Stay calm, okay? I'm going to try and find a tourniquet for the wound." When the girl silently nodded, Chi-Chi stumbled around in hopes of finding Dende and his healing powers first. Her heart broke when she saw Mr. PoPo facedown on the tiles, near the edge of the lookout where Dende and him were last seen standing. Not seeing the teenage Namek's body anywhere, the hopeful woman took it as a sign that perhaps he escape down below. Perhaps, there was a chance to fix all of this.

"Chi-Chi."

The woman whipped around immediately to see an emotionless 18 taking off her black over-shirt and tossing it. Chi-Chi blinked, but caught it. She could see the cyborg's daughter wrapped tightly around her leg and sniffling. There was so much Chi-Chi wanted to tell her, but their eyes exchanged a look that said more than words ever could. "Thank you."

18 simply nodded, and then quietly spoke to her daughter. "Go wait by the girls, little one. I need to help Bulma."

The blonde child nodded sadly, not wanting to look at her father's body and quickly running to Videl's side. Once 18 saw Chi-Chi wrap her shirt around Videl's leg, she walked over to where Bulma was laying and shook her head while gently prying Master Roshi off her. "I don't believe it," she said quietly with a smirk. "Even while sacrificing his life, he still manages to be a pervert."

Bulma smiled weakly as 18 brought her to her feet. She soothed down her dress, realizing there was blood visible even on the red material. She looked around at the ruin, tears silently falling down her face. The beautiful lookout was shattered, but just like the women, it was still standing. She looked at 18, rubbing her own arms to comfort herself. "What do we do now?"

Before 18 could speak, a familiar figure appeared in the center of the lookout. The red being settled his eyes on the injured Videl, walking towards her while Chi-Chi got out of the way. Without speaking, Kibito knelt down and began healing her wound. He glanced up at the stunned Chi-Chi was the hole was gone, his expression sympathetic and nothing like the face she remembered before. "I'm here to take you all to my world, where three others are waiting for you. I am sorry for your loss, but we must leave now. Earth and this lookout is not a safe place to be."

"Can you... Can you heal the others?" Chi-Chi asked hopefully.

"I can try," he nodded. "I will try."

xxxxxxxx

"Kibito! I'm impressed!" Supreme Kai laughed, looking at the amount of bodies his guard had brought back with him. "I never thought you'd bring others here yourself!" The purple being frowned when he noticed none of them looked happy. Rather, all of them but Kibito and the blonde woman were crying silently. The crystal ball showed the fight going on in Earth while his ally went to retrieve the survivors on the lookout, but by their looks he knew even Kibito's healing powers had its limitations.

Gohan's orbs widened when he caught sight of Videl, wanting so desperately to stand up and run to her but Elder Kai gave him a warning glance. The teen sighed, but kept his eyes locked on Videl and his mother as they began speaking.

"Wh-Where's Goku?" Chi-Chi asked desperately, looking around the beautiful and serene planet until she saw her oldest son sitting across an old man. "MY BABY!" she screamed, pushing the offended Kibito aside and charging towards her son. Gohan clicked his teeth, and began flailing his arms around frantically in hopes she'd stop. Behind her, Videl was running, too.

"Whoa, whoa!" his father suddenly appeared behind his mom, grabbing her waist from behind and shocking her. "He's trying to unleash his powers right now, Chi-Chi! You need to wait on the hugs."

Chi-Chi began weeping even more when she saw the muscular arms wrapped around her and heard the voice she had been missing already. She leaned her head back to see her husband looking down at her with that goofy grin of his. "...Goku."

"Hiya!" His smile grew even wider as he spun her around so she wouldn't be looking at and distracting Gohan. "There's someone that's been waiting a long time to meet you... I think you're really gonna like her."

Chi-Chi blinked, but then saw a woman beside Videl walking towards them. The wife tilted her head in confusion, noticing that the stranger's eyes looked exactly like Goku's. She even had that same kind face as him, but wore Bardock's Saiyan armor. A brown, furry tail swirled around behind her, and she was smiling sweetly. Seeing the halo on her head, Chi-Chi gasped and pointed a shaky finger. "Th-That's..."

"Yup!" Goku laughed, wrapping his arm around his wife as Gine and Videl stopped directly in front of them. "Chi-Chi, I'd like you to meet my mom. Her name is Gine, and she's an amazing person."

Blushing at his words, the female Saiyan extended her hand forward to the daughter in law she never met. Blinking her shock away, Chi-Chi knew better than to ask questions when dead relatives reappeared. Goku's wife shook the hand of Kakarot's mother, squeezing it tightly until the two just ended up hugging. Goku smiled proudly at his girls finally interacting with each other, but looked over at where his best friend's family and Bulma were standing and trying not to look at the happy reunion.

While Gine and Chi-Chi began to chatter, Goku touched Videl's shoulder to draw her attention away from Gohan's profile. Blushing at being caught, which always seemed to be a trend, the girl smiled. "Yes?"

"Do you mind spending time with them for a minute? My mom's been wanting to see you, too. I just really have to talk to Bulma and Android 18 real fast."

Videl blinked. "...Android?"

"Oh!" Goku rubbed the back of his head and chuckled loudly, only causing Videl's eyebrow to raise higher. "I guess Gohan hasn't told you that much yet. Bye!" In a blink of an eye, the messy-haired hero was beside his childhood friend. He smiled sadly at them, opening his mouth to speak when Bulma did it first.

"Goku," she frowned. "It was just terrible... It happened to fast...I-" When she began to sniffle, Goku wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder and continued to speak calmly.

"I know, I know. We saw everything," his eyes motioned to the crystal orb which was sitting on the grass, showing an image of a giant golden ape pounding his chest. "But it's all going to be okay. We saw Mr. Popo toss Dende off before the destruction happened. As long as he's alive, the Dragon Balls will bring them back. I promise." He glanced up at 18 slowly, sweatdropping a little when she saw him giving that infamous cold stare. It still baffled him how his best friend ended up living in the same house as her. Last thing he remembered before dying and before she was absorbed was her trying to kill him. "Uhm... 18?"

The piercing blue eyes narrowed, and the cyborg held her crying daughter closer to her chest. "What do you want?"

"Geez, that's not very nice..." he lowered his head a bit, removing his arm off Bulma while giving her a look. She just shrugged in return. The blue-haired woman was use to 18's personality. "I was just wondering if you heard what I said about the Dragon Balls."

"I have ears, don't I?"

Goku sighed, but tried to keep a smile on his face. Whether it was because it was just the way she was, or because she lost her husband, the Saiyan respected her and tried his best to understand. Instead of pressing 18 further, he looked at the bundle in her arms and grinned wildly when she returned a shy smile. "You look just like your dad, kiddo! Has he ever tried making you an airplane, before!?"

At the mention of her daddy, the blonde child's smile immediately disappeared. "No..."

"Well," Goku continued to grin. "You'll just have to ask him when he gets back! For now, I can show you! Uh... Can I?" He was slightly blushing, looking at 18 like he was a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. 18 looked him over with her piercing eyes, the expression on her face remaining unchanging while she shrugged and handed the little girl over to him.

"If you drop her," she warned, her voice venemous while Goku took a step back after receiving Marron. "I won't hesitate to kill you."

"But I'm already-" the look on her face caused the Saiyan to shut himself up. "Okay, okay. I won't hurt her, I promise!" He raised the now giggling girl above his head, spinning around gently in a circle.

Watching the two having their own strange fun, 18 crossed her arms over her chest and spoke to the female beside her without taking her eyes off her daughter. "What's his problem, anyway?"

Bulma chuckled, looking at 18. "What do you mean?"

"He's so... positive. Why? Was he dropped on his head as an infant?"

The blue haired woman had to stifle her laughter in this time, biting her bottom lip so she wouldn't let the blonde know she was spot on. "Maybe... But look at his mother. I believe his sweet nature came from her, too." Bulma looked at 18 and smiled to herself when she noticed the cyborg was observing the way Gine's eyes were lit up as she held onto the hands of Chi-Chi and Videl tightly and was jumping up and down while telling them a story. "Having people like that around at a time like this? That's not a problem at all, if you ask me."

18's eyes transferred over to Goku and her daughter once more. For the first time that day, Marron was smiling and giggling just as a young child should be. She noticed the dead warrior spinning her around, laughing in the same rhythm. Very slowly, she was beginning to understand why Krillin always spoke so highly of the man she found to be idiotic and soft. Perhaps, Bulma was right. There was no denying him, and his mother, were a light to a rather dim world that only continued to grow darker and darker.

"Quickly! Come!" Supreme Kai called, having finished his conversation with Kibito as he leaned down to look into the crystal ball. "You won't believe what's happening!"

Gohan began fiddling with his thumbs anxiously while watching his loved ones crowd around Supreme Kai. He was listening to his father's commentary, growing more frustrated by the minute at what he was hearing. "Oh no! NO! Why did he do that!? He had him!" Gohan's anger continued to grow as he father pounded a large fist into the grass.

"Oh my gosh," Videl's voice rang through his ears. "Is that... Is that my dad!? What in the world is he doing!? He's going to get himself killed!"

"Is that..." Bulma's voice sounded extremely confused. "Is that Gotenks? What happened... to his hair!?"

Goku's laughter came next. "Well, what do you expect!? You shaved Trunks' head!"

"HE HAD A MOHAWK!"

"What's wrong with a Mohawk?" Supreme Kai sounded extremely defensive, while Gohan's fists only clenched tighter and tighter.

"He looks like Kakarot!" his grandmother howled. "If Kakarot had a widow's peak! Look at that messy hair!"

They grew silent for awhile, watching whatever was going on, while Gohan tried to control his breathing. He wasn't being impatient, he honestly wasn't! For some reason, he was beginning to feel something forming inside of him and it needed to be let go. It was almost unbearable. He closed his eyes, trying to concentrate on clearing his mind when his mother's screams caused his eyes to snap back open.

"MY POOR BABY! HE'S GOING TO DIE! I SWEAR WHEN I SEE BARDOCK I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!"

Clenching his teeth, the hybrid glared at the Elder Kai who was slowly looking up from his book to smile at Gohan. "I can't take this anymore!" He rose to his feet, and Elder Kai closed his book and nodded. "I can't just sit here and do nothing! When is my potential going to be unlocked!?"

"It has been for five minutes." The answer was so simple, it stumped Gohan.

"Wh-What?"

"It's been five minutes. You're good. Unlock it."

"You've kept me sitting here..." Gohan blinked, his voice rising a bit higher as the group near the orb looked over at him. "FOR FIVE MINUTES WHEN MY BROTHER AND GRANDPA ARE RISKING THEIR LIVES!?"

"Go ahead and turn into one of those Super Saiyans," Elder Kai shrugged, reopening his book and scanning the images. "And believe in yourself."

Goku looked at fight happening on the crystal ball nervously, and then over at his son. He kept switching back and forth between the two, hopping from foot to foot due to his indecisiveness. Before he could make his final decision, Videl grabbed his arm while her eyes lit up wildly. "Come on, Goku! We have to see Gohan power up!"

"Right," Goku nodded with a grin, but made sure to take one last look at the crystal ball. The last image he caught was a Super Saiyan 3 Gotenks kicking Super Buu's head, denting it greatly. He sighed in relief, feeling reassured that the boys had this. "Let's go." The two left the group who was too entranced by the fight in the orb to run towards the improved teen. They watched in excitement as he began powering up.

"HYAHHHHH!" he shouted, blowing Elder Kai so far back that he crashed into Goku. The Saiyan held the older Shin-jin tightly, bracing himself into the ground while Videl gripped his arm tightly. The ones by the crystal ball couldn't help now but to look at the power emerging from Gohan. Bolts of electricity rocked the planet; all of it coming from just the one hero.

"Stupid kid!" Elder Kai snapped, making himself stand without the help of Goku. "He couldn't wait for me to move!?"

The messy-haired Saiyan chuckled at the grumpy being, and then took a quick glance at Videl who looked mesmerized by Gohan's new strength. "He's... He's so... incredible."

"Why don't you go hug him?" Goku winked, and got another chuckle out of her reddening face. He looked over at Gohan, who looked completely stunned himself at what just happened. He looked at his hands, which were still giving off energy. Goku smiled proudly at his son, shaking his head in disbelief while calling out to him. "Your power is overwhelming! You didn't even have to go Super Saiyan!"

Elder Kai shrugged, brushing the dirt off him. "He didn't need to transform. The power was inside of him all along."

Gohan, dressed in his Kai outfit, closed the distance between himself and the two that were waiting for him. Along with power, the half Saiyan was oozing confidence that made Videl, for once, feel intimidated by him instead of the other way around. "G-Gohan..." For the life of her, she couldn't understand why she was trembling so much. "I can't believe all this energy I'm feeling.. It's all coming from you."

"I can't believe it either" he spoke, and his voice even sounded different. Deeper. A changed man. He placed a hand on Videl's cheek for a moment, feeling it begin to burn under his skin. He rubbed his thumb against her face, and then turned his attention to his father. "I feel so incredible, Dad."

"You look incredible." Goku smiled, taking in the sight of his son as a flood of memories ran through his mind. The terrified four year old that was left in Piccolo's care after his death no longer existed. The bits and pieces of him witnessed on Namek should have foreshadowed the man standing before the father right now. He was even stronger than he was at the Cell Games. Even stronger... than himself. He completely outclassed all of them, and it happened so fast. Goku suddenly frowned, his chest aching as he realized why it happened so fast. He wasn't even there the last seven years for the beginning of his son's teenage life. What if the Gohan before him could have been there sooner if he were there to guide him; if he were there in between his studies for training sessions with the permission of Chi-Chi? What Gine had told him was finally making sense.

If he ever had the chance, he would not miss any more years. Any more weeks. Any more days.

"I wish I could go with you," Goku finally spoke again, not realizing that during his thoughts that Videl and Gohan were holding onto each other. "But I know you're going to do well on your own, son. I'm proud of you... And I'm sorry I haven't been there for you." The boy sweetly pushed the girl off of him, turning his attention to his father.

Gohan shook his head with a smile on his face, placing a hand on his father's shoulder. "I've never resented you for it, Dad. I'll keep making you proud, just like you've always made me." He wrapped his strong arms around Goku, resting his head against his neck for a moment and taking it all in. He wanted to remember how he felt; strong and warm. He wanted to remember his scent; the smell of Mount Paozu and everything beautiful in the world. Most of all, Gohan wanted to remember the sound of his heart beating. Even though his father was dead, for some reason, the heart was still beating. Perhaps it was his imagination, but the teen believed it was a sign that his father would never truly leave him for good.

Goku wrapped his arms tightly around Gohan in return, remembering how good it felt when Bardock embraced him back at the World Martial Arts Tournament. He didn't say it at the time, but it meant a lot to him. Now, the messy-haired Saiyan realized the importance of a hug, the act of holding someone tightly in one's arms to express affection not able to be explained in words. Once the two separated, there was a tap on Gohan's back.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

He turned around and beamed at the sight of his mother and grandmother holding their arms out to him. He picked up his mother first as to not to offend her, spinning her around and giving her a kiss on the cheek before turning his attention to Gine. Before he could embrace her, she placed her hands against his chest and smiled. "You make sure to tell your grandfather you saw me," her smile increased when the teen nodded. "And that I love him. He'll probably throw up in his mouth, but just do it for me, okay?"

"I will," Gohan chuckled, and pulled Gine into a sweet embrace. "I'm sorry we didn't get to spend much time together, Grandma. But I'll try and find a way. Maybe we can wish you back with the Dragon-"

"No," Gine interrupted and shook her head with a sad smile on her face. "Don't waste those wishes on me. You use them for your world. It's your time now. Mine was up a long time ago." She pushed herself away while Chi-Chi locked their arms together. "Besides, I've got what I wanted. You just kill Majin Buu and make sure Bardock isn't being too much of a jerk."

Gohan nodded, taking a step back and observing all the faces full of hope and pride for him. Even 18 looked at him a bit differently. He glanced at Kibito, who was prepared to take him to Earth. "Goodbye, everyone!" he waved. "I love you-"

"Wait!" Goku called, and Kibito and Gohan turned their attention to him. "Son, can you do me a huge favor? Can you not tell Bardock and the boys Chi-Chi and Bulma survived?" The messy-haired Saiyan received smacks from every female, including his mother while he winced.

"Uhm, Dad?" Gohan chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Why not? That seems kinda cruel..."

Goku made sure the women were a good distance away from him as he got a bit closer to his son. "It's just that I've never seen either of them react so seriously before! If you tell them that they survived, they might lose the momentum. All I'm saying is once you defeat Majin Buu, you can give them the good news, alright?"

Now understanding, Gohan nodded with a determined look on his face. Once more, he had to say his goodbyes. "Goodbye, everyone! I love you all!"

"We love you, Gohan!"

It was the last thing he heard as the red being transported them.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"It feels like an earthquake, Bee!" Hercule trembled, holding the puppy tightly in his arms as he observed his surroundings. It wasn't until he looked up that his eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "Bee! I don't believe it! It's a golden King Kong! And I've seen what that dastardly ape did! We need to split, now!" Hercule tried moving, but quickly fell back down his butt where Bardock had tossed him earlier as the ground shook violently.

The bright mid morning began to beat down on the poor human was he wiped the beads of sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. High in the sky, he could see the new Majin Buu levitating a few feet away from the monster's face. Watching with wide orbs, he held Bee close to his chest and watched the event unfold.

"I'll admit that you've grown," Majin Buu chuckled evilly, cracking his neck. "And you're uglier. But it's no matter; I can see right through you. You are still...nothing." He gave the Golden Oozaru Bardock a sinister smile, causing the ape to growl lowly.

"You think this is all we have planned?" Bardock roared, causing Piccolo and Gotenks to widen their eyes at the sound of his voice. Not even Piccolo had heard one of these apes speak before. All he heard Gohan do was yell and thrash around. The voice of these apes... Sounded nothing like the person they actually were. It was almost demonic. Yet, somehow, the Namek felt a bit more relieved now. Bardock obviously was in control of his ape form, unlike Gohan was fourteen years ago. "Remember that fighter my son and I promised you? He's here. It's not me. Now, you've got two pissed off and blood thirsty opponents to deal with."

Majin Buu yawned loudly, stretching out his arms and then placing them on his sides. "Enough talk. You're boring. Let's begin."

Piccolo watched as Bardock began pounding on his chest, opening his mouth to send an energy beam right through Majin Buu who didn't even bother to dodge the attack. The Namek blinked a couple times, wondering if the monster was destroyed already but quickly shaking his hopes away knowing it couldn't possibly be so. Sure enough, Buu's arm had finally off and was floating in the sky. But a smirk remained on his face as he quickly formed it back on himself.

"You almost really hurt Buu there for a moment!" the pink fiend laughed, throwing his head back and then slowly bringing it back to face the golden ape. "Too bad that's all you-" Not taking any chances, Bardock began snarling and shouting.

"Super Flame Cannon!"

Gotenks and Piccolo watched in awe as Bardock opened his mouth once more to fire a gigantic blaze. Buu was caught in the fire, but still the Namek knew he would regenerate with any pieces that would be left over. Piccolo couldn't believe just how damage the attack did the Earth; completely incinerating all the green grass and trees. Muttering under his breath about how he'd make sure to restore the Earth he called home, he looked down at the messy-haired, widow-peaked, all black hair Gotenks who was watching the scar-faced fur ball show his power.

"Aren't you going to transform to Super Saiyan 3?"

Gotenks finally managed to look at the burnt skin of Buu, which healed quickly as he pulled himself together and continued to smirk as if nothing happened. Yet still, Bardock wasn't giving him any chances to speak or move. He continiously fired his ki blasts and mouth attacks, damaging bits and pieces of the planet along with it. "Once he tells me," the boy finally nodded at Piccolo. "Do I need to fight like that?"

The Namek watched Bardock's ruthlessness, getting whatever he needed to get done without giving it a second thought. It reminded him so much of the time traveling Trunks; the one the kid was trying to be. Piccolo gave a small smile, and looked into the inquisitive yet determined orbs of the fused child. "Yes. Exactly like that."

"You made me MAD!" Super Buu screamed, causing all eyes to return back to the fight. There was steam coming out of the Majin's ears, and he was hopping from foot to foot in a frustrated dance. The sight of it made Bardock chuckle, a deep throaty sound that shook the planet. "I WARNED YOU ABOUT MAKING ME MAD!" Momentarily letting his guard down, Bardock was hit in the eye by one of Buu's energy waves. The Majin then proceeded to rapidly fire at the beast's blind side, laughing the whole while.

"Do we do it now!?" Gotenks asked, clenching his fist while not taking his eyes off his grandfather. Although Piccolo was feeling nervous, he saw Bardock raise his palm in their direction, signaling it wasn't time.

"No, not yet boys. Not yet," Piccolo then scowled. "I can't believe he let his guard down, after everything he's said. I guess even a brilliant tactician like that can't fight the negatives about being a Saiyan."

Majin Buu flew back from the groaning ape, feeling quite proud of himself. "And you thought you had a chance. You are a mere warm up for Majin Buu."

With one eye permanently closed, Bardock could see his fake moon through his right side. He then proceeded to simply raise a hand up and destroy it, slightly shocking and confusing Majin Buu while Piccolo and Gotenks yelled at him. "Are you kidding me!?" Piccolo sneered, raising his green fist in the air. "You're already giving up!? Just like that! You didn't even put any damage on him! Ugh!" he looked down at the boys who were equally pissed off and disappointed as Bardock began transforming back to his base self. "Boys, that's it. It's your turn. Don't make the same mistakes, and don't give up."

Immediately, the fused boy turned into his Super Saiyan 3 form. The Earth trembling once more caused Buu to snap his head in the direction of Gotenks, and the shocked expression from Bardock's sudden surrender disappeared and was replaced by a smile that sent chills down Piccolo's spine. Stepping out from his hiding spot, the missing brow, long haired child placed his hands on his hips and glared at the Majin.

"So," the pink fiend laughed. "You're the fighter that's been so hyped up about."

"No time for senseless chatter!" Gotenks aimed a deadly finger at Buu, while Bardock made his way back to the scowling Piccolo's side. "It's time you find out what a Saiyan is made of!"

Bardock crossed his arms over his chest, smiling proudly as Gotenks and Buu began to face off. "Amazing, aren't they?" When he didn't hear the Namek's response, he looked over at Piccolo with his good eye and frowned when he saw him glaring. "What?"

Piccolo spat, feeling disappointed in the warrior. "I honestly expected more from that transformation of yours. You were making a mockery out of Buu, and I understand that you made a mistake. But I never thought you'd give up... Just like that. I've never seen a Saiyan do that before. It's disgusting," he continued when Bardock was looking down at his boots. "Call me crazy, but I swore I thought you were on the verge of transforming into something else."

Bardock smirked, shaking his head and turning his attention back to Gotenks as he sent a hook kick right to the Majin's neck, causing the pink fiend to shudder. "I was. That's why I stopped."

"What!?"

"During my year in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, I hardly slept at night because I was having visions about the end of the world until no more visions existed. It was like my death was predicted once again, but along with everyone else's," Bardock winced for a second when he saw Gotenks descending to the ground, but sighed when he saw the boy get back on his feet. "I remembered how I was the only Saiyan left with a tail, and it's a shame, because our Oozaru form is truly something to behold. I wondered since I was able to achieve the Super Saiyan formation just how much it would affect my other transformation. When I tried it, I was amazed at the power I felt rushing through me. I was in complete control; fearful and deadly."

Piccolo glanced up to see Buu and Gotenks clashing, not sure who was winning, and then looked back over at Bardock. "Goten mentioned he saw you training, but thought it was only a nightmare. What exactly happened? If you could feel yourself transforming to something beyond that, why didn't you?"

"It wouldn't be right," Bardock's expression was suddenly serious, as he wasn't looking at Gotenks anymore, but at the ground in frustration with his fists clenched tightly. "If I were to go beyond something that my son or the prince haven't even achieved when I'm not as nearly as powerful as them. I don't deserve it. I can't even ascend to the next level beyond a plain Super Saiyan, yet I felt something frighteningly powerful begin to grow inside me. I just couldn't do it. Not now."

The Namek was honestly shocked, crossing his arms over his chest and shaking his head in disbelief. "I never thought I'd hear a Saiyan not want to be better than others. This must really be the end of the world." When Bardock simply chuckled, Piccolo continued. "Tell me, Bardock, do you think that transformation could kill Majin Buu?"

"I don't know," Bardock shrugged and gestured to the clashing duo in the sky. "But it's not for me to find out. I could be gone by tomorrow. Even the next minute. But those boys will be around forever. They need to learn, and will, protect their planet. I don't want them to lose it like I lost mine. This planet is just..." The scar-faced Saiyan trailed off, not sure what to say.

"It just changes you."

Bardock and Piccolo looked at each other, for once seeing glimpses of their past slowly fading away until the man before them was all there was left. A changed man. A good man. They smiled at each other, both bringing their attention back to the sky where Gotenks attacked Super Buu with a Galatic Donut. They could see the Majin beginning to grow frustrated, beginning to have his ego damaged at the hands of a child.

There was a ruffling noise coming from behind them, and they quickly whipped around despite the non threatening power levels. Emerging from the bush was Hercule Satan, holding a barking Bee in his arms and smiling proudly. "Guess what I found besides my gun!?" When the two remained uninterested, Hercule beamed and continued. "I found a little green guy! He looks just like you, uh... other green guy!"

Their eyes widened a bit as green antennae poke themselves out, followed by a head with a face that washed relief throughout their entire bodies. "Hey, guys!" Dende smiled weakly, waving his hand. "What did I miss?"


	24. Zero to Hero

On his feet after his momentary collapse, King Vegeta began to mull over his son. When Frieza took the prince away from him, the king thought he would turn out as malicious as the tyrant. But this man before him, this golden, green-eyed Super Saiyan, was different somehow going beyond the transformation. There was something in his orbs, something in the way he stood that made the king understand this wasn't the son he remembered.

Prince Vegeta took notice of his father looking him over, and went back to his base form. "I don't understand why that information shocked you so much, Father." An all too familiar smirk, one that made the father sigh in relief that at least something was the same, crossed his face. "After all, it's our blood running through his veins."

"How is the young Vegeta, anyway?" the King started chuckling deeply, crossing his arms over his chest while envisioning that his grandson must be the replication of the prince when he was a child. Spiky black hair, the armor of royalty, all the works. A baffled expression crossed the Saiyan's face, realizing a problem. "And who is the mother of the boy!? Surely, there are no female Saiyans alive..."

A slight red hue formed on the prince's cheeks as he quickly looked down at his boots to hide it. He bit his lower lip, not wanting to tell his father the truth. He would probably just end up fainting again. "It's Trunks," he murmured. "And... Bulma."

"Bullmoose...?" the king blinked. "Trunks? What are you on about?"

Vegeta finally looked up, feeling that his burning face had returned to normal. He cleared his throat and held his head up a bit higher, convincing himself there was no shame in having the family that he did. The King surely was already proud knowing that Trunks had killed Frieza, and the woman... The woman was the closest thing to a queen that the damn planet had! "My son's name isn't Vegeta. It's Trunks," he chuckled darkly when his father's face dropped slightly, knowing it had to hurt not carrying on the family name. "His mother's name is Bulma. She's an earthwoman, but before you judge, just know I didn't have many options."

King Vegeta winced, slowly shaking off the realization that his grandson wasn't a full blood Saiyan and his daughter in law had no trace of one. "Well... is she decent looking on the eyes?"

That good ol' ego boost. "Absolutely," Vegeta's smirk continued to grow. "The only downside is that damn blue hair of hers caused my son to.. To, uh..."

The king tilted his head, unsure of why his son was suddenly blushing and looking away. "To what, son?"

Vegeta sighed heavily, giving up. "To have purple hair."

"Purple!?" King Vegeta backtracked, wincing again and then shaking his head sadly. "Oh, son..."

"He's still a decent looking kid," the prince offered. "Strong, too. An excellent warrior. You'd be proud of him." The smirk left Vegeta's troubled face as he began having images of his son looking at him before his sacrifice. He had never seen the child have such an expression; one that was mixed with pity and pain as if he knew the sacrifice would be in vain. He also remembered the look on his face when he told him he was proud. Once again, he had never seen the child look so stunned.

As if he couldn't believe it.

Clenching his fists tightly, the prince turned his back on his father while trapped in his thoughts. "I should have said it more," he spoke aloud, causing the king to step towards him close enough to place a gloved hand on his shoulder. The prince didn't even try removing it, but he didn't glance over his shoulder either. "Now it's too late."

King Vegeta cleared his throat, trying to find the best way to comfort his son. He had never been around anyone that showed emotion, and definitely wasn't expecting his son to be the first. He knew there was something different. "I don't think anything is ever too late, son. Unless of course, you're dead..." he turned a bit red realizing their situation and quickly tried to fix his words. "I guess what I'm trying to say, is that I'm sure... Trunks... knows how you feel. Didn't you know how I felt about you before I died?"

"Saiyan fathers do have a tendency to brag about strength in their sons," the prince remarked with a small smile but still didn't look at the king. "It's just... I'm not sure. It's different with Trunks and myself."

"How so?" the king asked earnestly. "Do you not show pride for him because he isn't as strong as you were as a boy?"

"It's definitely not that. He's much stronger than I ever was at his age," Vegeta had finally turned around, noticing a hint of shock in his father's orbs once more. "Tell me. Do you know what my mother's name was?"

"Son, I do not even remember what she looks like."

"Exactly," the prince remarked. "Yet I know every minuscule detail about the mother of my son and I don't even know how or why. Even the things I do not want to know. I just do. The meaning of family is so different on Earth than it was on Vegeta... and I just don't know what to do about it."

The king crossed his arms over his chest and flashed the smirk that was inherited to his son; his goatee moving with it. "Are you trying to tell me you feel something for those two, my son?"

"What!?" Vegeta fumed, immedaitely regretting his decision to face his father again. "Don't be ridiculous! That's absurd..."

"It's just us in here, Vegeta."

"Well," the prince murmured, looking at his white boots. "I may have grown fond of them. But what does that matter now?"

"If given the chance, would you save your mate and son?"

The prince glanced up, raising an eyebrow at his father's question. The king remained in his pose, his eyes hard and serious. "... Of course I would. Why do you ask?"

"Would you handle it differently this time? Keeping the thoughts of those you care about in your mind? Doing what it takes to keep them alive?"

Vegeta blinked, furrowing his eyebrows a bit in confusion. "Father, I don't-"

"Answer me."

"Yes. Yes, I would do anything it takes to keep Trunks and Bulma alive."

The prince watched in curiosity as the king looked up at the white ceiling. "Did you hear that, Yemma?" he called. "The prince is ready to return to Earth." He then proceeded to smirk at his bewildered son and open his arm wide. "Goodbye now, son. Don't waste your second chance."

Vegeta's eyes narrowed. "What? What do you mean, Father? What's going on?" Before answering, the king had pulled him into a short, strong embrace and then let go to look at the face of the changed Saiyan prince.

"Someone is going to escort me back to Hell, while you're brought to Earth. There, you will fight the monster that is terrorizing your new home," he winked at his son's widening orbs. "We just had to make sure you were ready, first. You'll only have one more chance."

Sure enough, Baba the fortuneteller and a little blue skinned assistant appeared right behind King Vegeta. The pink-haired woman was clearing her throat, not wanting to waste any more time while the assistant was smiling politely at the father-son duo. Vegeta looked at the king with a loss for words. "Father... Why."

"I couldn't believe it when Yemma told me, but now I can see that it's true. You are a hero, son. Maybe not the ideal one, but a hero nonetheless. And for the record," he began to walk away from the prince until he was by the assistant's side. He waved a large hand with a genuine smile, one that the son had never seen before. "I'm very proud of you."

The two faded away so quickly that when Vegeta blinked, they were gone. He was still looking at the empty space of the white room when he felt a tapping on his shoulder. Snarling, he glanced over to see Baba frowning at him. "Well, I don't know why Yemma wants this to happen, but I don't have a choice. Come on, Vegeta. It's time to return to Earth."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Now that Elder Kai's mission was complete, the old purple Shin-jin shuffled his way over to the tree where his younger ancestor was sitting among the visitors of their sacred world. One in particular was sticking out; the blue-haired one in a tight red dress biting her nails while looking into the crystal ball. Remembering Goku's promise, he licked his lips and rubbed his hands together.

"Oh, miss?"

Bulma glanced away from the fight going on between her fused son and the monster to see the old man tapping on her shoulder and winking. "Uh... Yes? May I help you?"

Elder Kai began chuckling, causing Goku to look away from the orb Supreme Kai was holding and become covered with panic sweat. As he began sneakily crawling away from the group, he heard the old man say: "Ooh, I'm glad you've got the red lipstick on!"

The messy-haired Saiyan made it a good few meters away before he heard Bulma's scream. "GOKKKUUUUUUU!" He began crawling faster until Saiyan boots came into his line of vision. Gulping, Goku glanced up to see Gine scowling with her arms crossed.

"Oh no you don't!" The mother grabbed her son's ear, dragging him back to the pissed off female while he winced and began shouting apologies. "You think it's okay going around and offering women as bargaining chips!? Just wait until Bardock and Vegeta hear about this!"

Having witnessed the prince's wrath before, Goku broke free from his mother's grip and was now on his feet with his hands pressed up in prayer. He took a quick glance at the fuming Bulma and the knocked out Elder Kai before speaking. "I'm sorry! I had to! He would've never let Gohan unlock his hidden power if he didn't have anything in return," he frowned when noticed his words weren't convincing Vegeta's wife. "Look, you're the only one I know that would give up anything to save the world! I tried offering my mom, Videl, and you were the only one left I could think of! Doesn't that mean anything to you? Don't you feel special?"

He began chuckling nervously when Bulma's blue eyes narrowed even further. "What about Chi-Chi!? I didn't hear ya mention her!"

The already stressed out Saiyan glanced over at his wife who was too absorbed in the fight to notice the conversation that was happening, along with Supreme Kai, 18, and Videl. Little Marron was having too much fun pulling up grass, and Elder Kai remained unconscious on the ground with his lips still puckered up. Bulma and Gine were the only ones giving the poor man a hard time.

"Why would I offer him my wife?" Goku frowned, rubbing the back of his sweaty head. "I thought I was the only one that could kiss her. That's what Krillin told me about marriage, anyway."

Gine and Bulma exchanged looks with each other, and then sighed. The male was too naive for his own good, but his heart was in the right place. "Alright," the blue-haired female muttered. "I'll let you go this time... You're just lucky Vegeta and you are both dead, or else I'll happily let him kill you."

Goku chuckled and gave his first friend a two finger salute. "Thanks for understanding, Bulma!" He brought his hand to his side and bit his lip nervously while looking at the fallen Shin-jin. "But did you have to hit him so hard!? Poor guy."

Gine glanced down at the Elder Kai and shrugged. "He'll be fine; his leg is beginning to twitch."

The Saiyan sighed in relief, and then felt the familiar presence of a red Shin-jin from behind. Glancing over his shoulder, he waved and smiled at Kibito. "Hey! You got Gohan there safely?"

"Yes," the being nodded. "He's dressed sharply, too."

"Oh, no!" Supreme Kai's voice brought the attention of the three back over to the group near the tree. "Goku, quick! The boys' fusion ran out so they let Gohan finish! But...something has gone horribly wrong!"

The messy-haired Saiyan's eyebrows furrowed as he immediately made his way to the crystal ball; his mother, Bulma, and Kibito following suit as the group all looked nervously at the image that was appearing. Videl was the first to scream, followed by Chi-Chi and then Gine as they saw Gohan being drawn closer and closer to the sinister Buu's body. He was wrapped up in part of his pink body, trapped and unable to move. Goku kept his heavy orbs locked on the ball, even when Chi-Chi began shaking him frantically.

"Oh, Goku! Goku! He's going to take our son!" the poor wife cried, shaking her husband more and more. "Please! You have to do something! You're the only one I know that can save him!"

When he remained silent, Chi-Chi began to break down. Of course he wouldn't be able to do anything. He couldn't go to Earth. "Gohan..." she sniffled. "Goten..."

"He's still okay, Chi-Chi!" Videl spoke through clenched teeth, both angered and terrified as she watched her boyfriend become part of Buu. "But Bardock and my dad aren't! Look!"

Chi-Chi turned her head away from her increasingly frustrated husband to see Mr. Satan and Bardock wound together in the moving pink blob of skin. At this point, Gine was pounding the ground furiously and snapping Elder Kai back to his senses. "Darn it, Bardock!" she whispered sadly, shaking her head. "Sometimes I wish you didn't become a hero... You're trying to save that man all for nothing!"

Goku blinked, looking up at his mother while his wife was crying against his shoulder. "You think Dad was trying to save Mr. Satan?"

"Yeah," Videl's blue eyes widened after watching poor Piccolo become trapped as well. The monster was taking their friends away one by one until it looked like they'd be all gone. "What do you mean, Gine? How do you know? It looks like they're both struggling to me."

Gine shook her head once more, watching as Hercule tried shooting his gun with his increasingly pink-covered hand while Bardock rolled his eyes. "Actually... It looks like your father," she turned her attention away from the crystal ball to look at Videl with a sad smile on her face. "Tried to save my husband..."

The group remained silent, even the ones with watery eyes keeping locked on the event unfolding in the crystal ball. Elder Kai was now on his feet as well, sending a glare in Bulma's direction before he began to mull over the remaining fighters: two terrified, unfused children that were backing themselves up against the cliff with Dende by their side.

"They can't fuse right now," Goku spoke through gritted teeth, pounding the ground with a fist. "And Buu has the power of Gohan... Darn it!" he yelled, getting to his feet while shaking. "I can't let those boys die!"

"Die?" Chi-Chi whispered, while Gine held her closely and reached over to squeeze Bulma's hand. Both women were in tears, and only stopped sniffling when Elder Kai cleared his throat.

"It's a shame Gohan had to go. I had a method in mind."

Goku was about to ask what he meant by that when Bulma let out a sudden squeal. "IT'S VEGETA!" The messy-haired Saiyan immediately brought his attention to the orb with a giant smile on his face, definitely seeing the flame-haired prince standing protectively in front of the cheering boys.

"Wow! Vegeta!" his grin suddenly turned upside down. "But... Even he can't beat Buu now. I wish I could go to Earth and fuse with him... I bet our power combined would have a chance."

"As in the fusion the boys have been doing?" the old man scoffed, bringing Goku's attention back to him once again. "No. You need something more powerful than that. Here!" Kibito and Supreme Kai were now standing behind the messy-haired Saiyan, all with wide orbs, as Elder Kai removed his earrings and placed them in Goku's open palm.

"Earrings?" Goku blinked, observing his reflection in the jewelry. "Are you sure two people can be fused just by putting on earrings?"

"Of course I'm sure!" Elder Kai snapped. "I'm a Kai, aren't I?"

Supreme Kai sweatdropped, looking at his red ally. "I didn't know that... Did you know that, Kibito?"

"I did not, sir." Kibito confirmed, and Elder Kai cleared his throat again with a scowl.

"Go on, you two. You both have on Potara earrings. Why don't you try it out?" The Shin-jins didn't catch sight of the elderly one snickering under his breath as they switched earrings. The women around the crystal orb were now looking away momentarily to see Supreme Kai and Kibito flying towards each other until they clashed; a bright light following suit. Once the light died away, they all gasped seeing a stranger in the place where the two should have been. He was purple like the Supreme Kai, but his hair was that of Kibito's.

"Wow!" Kibito Kai cheered, looking himself over. "Look at us! We're joined together! Incredible!"

Goku gaped at the new being, suddenly believing Elder Kai's technique would work. "You guys look incredible!"

Kibito Kai raised a fist in the air, having new found confidence. "I'm read to fight alongside you, Goku!" he smirked at the messy-haired Saiyan. "Let's go to Earth, right now!"

"Not so fast!" Elder Kai scolded. "You may be stronger with your fused bodies, but you're still no match for Majin Buu. He could easily absorb you. You'll stay here and protect me from the women." Kibito Kai blushed, losing his confidence and looking down at the grass.

Ignoring his disappointed, Goku began to admire the earrings and placed one on his left ear. "Man, these earrings are just what we need! How long do they last, Elder Kai!?"

"There is no time limit," Elder Kai turned his back on the now shaking Kibito Kai. "It is permanent. Once fused, you can never unseparate. You're stuck like that forever."

"I'M STUCK LIKE THIS!?" Kibito Kai blinked, sweat beginning to pour off his forehead while Goku chuckled nervously.

"Well, that's good to know..." the Saiyan then frowned, taking off the earring and offering them back to Elder Kai. "But it's still no good. I doubt Vegeta will want to do that, and I can't even go back to Earth." He listened to the Elder sigh loudly, turning around to face him.

"I'll give you the life left that's inside of me," the old man genuinely smiled. "Then you can make your return to Earth."

"What!?" Goku cried out, causing the women to once more look over at what the men were talking about. "You'd give your life to me!?"

Chi-Chi brought herself to her feet, running to Goku's side and looking at the happy Elder Kai with excited orbs. "Oh my gosh, are you serious!? You're going to give my Goku his life back!?" Although the Saiyan didn't look at her, he could tell Gine was smiling all too knowingly. He was going to get what she's been asking for.

The Kibito in Kibito Kai stomped his foot on the ground, pouting. "That's completely unorthodox! You can't just give up your life to handle a single...situation!"

Elder Kai closed his eyes, holding his hands behind his back. "As usual, you're missing the bigger picture. Once Majin Buu destroys Earth, he'll make his way over here. The old men must sacrifice their lives so that the young ones may live. Come, boy, standing before me." Chi-Chi exchanged a look with her husband with watery eyes before unlatching his arm. The Saiyan stood in front of the now sitting Elder with a sad smile on his face.

"Thank you... You're... Too kind."

The women had left the crystal ball, even 18, to gather around and watch as Elder Kai made his sacrifice. Realizing he was surrounded by women, although crazy, a smile crossed the old man's face as he closed eyes. "I'll see you later!" With that, he took his last breath and fell on his side. Sensing that his life force was gone, everyone looked at the ground sadly until Goku felt something rushing through his body.

"Honey," Chi-Chi cried softly, touching his arm and looking up. "Your halo is gone."

Goku nodded, wrapping an arm around his wife while looking at the lifeless body on the ground. "Thank you... I promise, I won't let this life go to waste." He looked over at his mother and smiled. "At all."

"THEN HURRY UP!" Elder Kai snapped, a halo above his head as he sat up. When the group screamed loudly and didn't do anything else, the old man yelled again. "YOU'RE STANDING THERE LOOKING LIKE FOOLS WHEN YOU SHOULD BE SAVING THE EARTH! NOW GO!"

Grinning nervously, Goku nodded and placed two fingers on his forehead. "Yes-"

"Wait, Goku!" Bulma pleaded, and the Saiyan lowered his hand to his side to look at her. "What exactly are you planning to do?"

"Uhm," he chuckled while placing the earring back on his left ear and tucking the other in the pocket of his gi. "I'm going to fuse with Vegeta."

The blue-haired woman raised an eyebrow. "You really think he's going to let you do that stupid dance with him? You're going to need to do a lot of convincing with that one."

"Aren't you going to use those earrings?" Videl questioned, pointing at the jewelry. "Like those other two did?"

"Yup! Just a different way to fuse, nothing else and it's pretty short, definitely doesn't last forever!" Goku began to sweat slightly, realizing 18 was looking at him with her piercing blue eyes again. He silently pleaded for her not to say anything, but of course, it was to no avail.

"Didn't that old man say it was permanent?"

"WHAT!?" Bulma and Chi-Chi screamed at the same time, ganging up on the frightened Goku. "WE ARE NOT SHARING TWO HUSBANDS! YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE, MISTER!"

"Oh my goodness!" Elder Kai shouted dramatically, the dead man now over by the crystal ball as everyone turned their attention to him. "What's happening to Vegeta and the children!?" Almost instantaneously, the women hurried over to the tree, leaving Goku alone. The old man winked, causing the Saiyan to give him a thumbs up and instant transmission the hell out of there.

The long-haired, fused child closed his eyes tightly, hearing the sound of his heartbeat thump wildly against his chest. Buu was currently howling underneath a pile of crumbled rocks; having been smashed into them by the boy moments ago. The Majin's ego had been greatly damaged, but Gotenks was currently unsure of the monster's physical condition.

He's the reason why my parents are dead.

He's the reason why I lost my mom.

His fists clenched tighter and tighter with each thought, each image that ran through his mind of what the mothers' faces looked like when the beams had reached them. Gotenks could perfectly see their terrified faces, screaming in agony as the pink rays went through their chests. He was biting so hard on his lips that they began to bleed, along with his hands.

Why didn't Bardock try and stop him?

I can't believe he let us down.

Gotenks opened his eyes to glare down at the scar-faced Saiyan, who was currently having an argument with the world champ. Rubbing his bloody hands against the side of his white pants, the boy watched the crater he had created as Majin Buu screamed loudly, stretching his arm out and trying to grip Gotenks with it. The long haired male was too quick for the pink flesh, dodging it as Buu pulled himself together to come face to face with him.

Well we won't.

The Majin was huffing, steam coming out of his holes in frustration that a child was beating him. Buu opened his mouth to speak, but before any words could come out, Gotenks made it clear he wasn't wasting any time with small talk. Raising his right hand in the air, a huge golden energy sphere began to form. The sphere quickly turned into an energy wave that was fired down at Buu, and the pink fiend was split in half and twitching. Using two remaining energy waves, he obliterated the halves of Buu and the pink pieces were floating in the air.

"Excellent job, boys!" Piccolo called, and Bardock was smirking up at them with his arms crossed. That smirk turned into a scowl when he saw Gotenks flip him off.

"What the fuck is his problem?" the Saiyan asked the taller of the two Nameks, who gave him a look.

"You really have to ask?" Piccolo scoffed. "You left them with all the dirty work."

Bardock bit his lip and remained silent, bringing his attention back up to the sky. Gotenks was trying to destroy the pieces with ki blasts, but the scar-faced Saiyan let out a loud growl when the remaining pieces began spinning around the child rapidly. "Dammit kid," he muttered and winced as Buu had Gotenks wrapped around with the area from his chest to his feet. He began squeezing the child tightly while Bardock began cursing.

"What do you think you're doing?" Piccolo asked, narrowing his eyes on Bardock as he transformed into his Super Saiyan state. "If anything, you should be that giant gorilla. You already had your chance; let the boys figure this one out."

Ignoring his opinion, the legendary Super Saiyan took off after wherever Buu was planning on taking Gotenks. The boy was biting hard on the pink flesh that was around him, but it seemed to have no effect. "Buu said he'd kill you. And whatever Buu say, Buu do!" the Majin laughed cruelly, squeezing as tight as he could as Gotenks screamed. "Now you die!" Approaching a mountain, Buu released his grip on the boy and sent him flying. When the monster saw a golden pesk of a fighter grab him from behind, he began grinding his teeth in frustration.

Bardock went through the mountain harshly; his body taking on the damage that was meant for Gotenks who he was holding by the arms tightly. The older Saiyan managed to stop them from creating a crater in the ground by levitating just inches above the dirt. Gotenks opened his eyes, realizing who was holding him and snarled. "Let go of me, Bardock! You didn't need to save me!"

The grandfather did as he was told, releasing his grip as Gotenks whipped around to face him. The two were staring at each other with deadly, hardened orbs. "Look, kid. I get that you're pissed, but I couldn't have done any damage if I tried."

"You're a liar!" Gotenks screamed, jabbing a finger into Bardock's chest that caused him to move back a few feet. "I was wrong to think that you cared about my family; about me!"

Unsure of whether it was Trunks or Goten speaking, or both, Bardock sighed heavily and began to feel Majin Buu approaching quickly. "You'll understand when you're the one that defeats him, kid... I just-"

"You just, what!?" Gotenks spat, cupping his hands to his side as Majin Buu appeared in the sky but he kept his eyes locked on Bardock. "Exactly. You have nothing to say. Just leave. Nobody needs you." Gotenks turned his attention on the monster above, screaming loudly as the enormous energy blast escaped his palms. Not only was it one, but it was more than Bardock could count. The fire kept escaping from the hands of the warrior, his screams growing louder and shaking the planet along with it. The Majin was becoming sliced in sharp pieces, leaving Bardock with a sense of pride despite the emotion Gotenks was showing him.

"I can't believe how well you're doing, kid." Bardock frowned when he noticed the child was panting heavily; sweat pouring down his forehead and dripping off his nose to the ground. "But every attack you're doing as a Super Saiyan 3 is killing your energy. You can't keep this up long. Why don't you just finish it already?"

The grandfather hadn't realized Gotenks was listening to him until a fist connected with his jaw. The Saiyan landed on his back, glaring up at the long-haired boy whose nostrils were flaring above him. "Don't you dare tell me to finish this when you haven't even done anything!" Gotenks snapped, kicking Bardock on the ribs so hard he cough up some blood. "Just shut up and leave!"

Bardock's eyes narrowed, wiping the blood off his lip with his right hand. "You're acting like your father right now, Trunks. And you know what happened to him." He could clearly hear the scream of Vegeta's son emerging from Gotenks as he was lifting up by the green strap of his armor. Bardock could hear the material ripping as Gotenks looked him dead in the eye, bringing memories of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber back.

"I'd rather be him than you!" the child snarled; not looking anything like one, but rather a man that had been through enough. Despite his anger, or because of it, there were tears beginning to brim as he lowered his voice seeing blood trickle down Bardock's chin. "I'm sorry, Grandpa... I just thought you'd be there for me like you promised. Please go back to Mr. Piccolo now... Buu is reforming again, I can feel it. I can't lose you, too."

Bardock blinked, a bit caught off-guard by the sudden shift in temperament. Gotenks let go of him, and Bardock was on his feet once again as the two turned their attention to the monster bringing himself back together. "You're almost out of energy... What are you planning to do?"

Gotenks nodded, not taking his eyes off Buu as the newly reformed Majin screamed out in anger. "I've got one more move planned... And the fusion will be over. If this isn't enough, I'm not worried."

The scar-faced adult raised an eyebrow, glancing down at the fused boy. "Why not?"

"Can't you feel that? That huge power coming our way?"

"Yes... I do now."

"Remember how you told us all Gohan was in another world getting training? I can guarantee you it's him. We're all going to be okay," Gotenks finally looked away while prepping himself for a charge attack towards Buu in the sky. "Just keep us safe when the fusion is over."

Bardock nodded, taking a deep breath as he got a taste of just how strong his Super Saiyan 3 brat was. "You got it, kid. Go kick some ass." He watched as Gotenks flew into the sky, and reluctantly returned back to Piccolo who was looking at him with widened eyes.

"What the hell happened to you!?" the Namek shook his head. "I think you've gotten beaten up by everyone at this point."

"Shut up," Bardock rolled his eyes and looked into the sky, waiting for the final moment of Gotenks. "You may want to keep your eye on this one. You might miss it."

"Uh, Bardock?"

The male glanced over his shoulder to see Dende timidly raising his hand, while Hercule cowered behind him with a barking Bee near his foot. "Yeah?"

"Would you like me to heal you? It looks like your eye is in pain," he chuckled nervously seeing the damaged side of Bardock's face. "I can do it quickly if you sit still."

Hercule watched as the Bardock sat down on the ground and closed his eyes. Dende left his spot in front of the champ and began roaming his hands above the Saiyans injuries. "Hey," Hercule nudged Piccolo's arm, causing the green Namek to grumble. "That little green guy can cure people just like Buu! Well... my friend Buu... I don't know who the hell that guy is up there, but he sure isn't my friend!"

"Can someone please shut him up?" Bardock muttered, reopening his eyes as he felt his body return to normal. Dende offered his hand to help the Saiyan get back to his feet, and he accepted it gratefully. "Thanks, kid. That really did the trick."

"No problem," Dende bowed and laughed. "You guys have done so much for us, I thought I could be of some use."

Bardock opened his mouth to speak, but became stunned into silence as the energy he was sensing from above was rising higher and higher by the minute. He quickly stood by Piccolo's side, and the two watched with mouths agape.

"He's..." Piccolo blinked. "He's incredible. Gotenks can go head to head with Buu. I honestly thought he wouldn't stand a chance." All grew quiet on the ground, even little Bee, as Gotenks began to shout in the sky.

"NOW IT'S YOUR TURN TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE YOUR LIFE TAKEN AWAY AGAINST YOUR WILL!" Bringing his arms to his side, Gotenks began throwing forward the last of his charged up ki at the sinister Buu. Piccolo and Bardock couldn't help but smirk at the potency of the blasts, and from down on the ground they could feel the heat from the fire. The barrage of yellow-colored ki was extremely hard for the Majin to miss, and soon the entire sky became covered in one bright light.

When it had all ended and the smoke cleared, Bardock saw the separated bodies of Trunks and Goten falling towards the ground. He immediately flew up and caught them, holding them under either arm as he brought them to Dende to heal any injuries. Through under Bardock's grip, Trunks flashed Goten a thumbs up and the happy, yet exhausted child, flashed it back.

Placing the boys gently on the ground, Piccolo glanced down at them and flashed his fangs. "Excellent job, boys! I don't think Majin Buu can regenerate after that one."

"Don't be so certain," Trunks coughed as Dende knelt down to use his powers. "We could've had more power left, but... I, uh... kinda wasted some on Bardock." He blushed, side-eyeing the Saiyan who just shrugged it off.

"Don't worry about it, kid. You were great," his eyes were still scanning the sky, waiting for Majin Buu to get his body back together. "If it wasn't enough, you mentioned Gohan was coming, didn't you?"

"That's it!" Buu hollered, causing the boys to joined Bardock and Piccolo's side as they glared up at complete Majin Buu, who was trembling with rage. "I've given you plenty of chances, but now you die! You die! You DIE!"

Goten immediately ran behind his grandfather, clinging tightly and closing his eyes in hopes his brother would arrive. The boy looked over to see Trunks holding onto Piccolo's leg in the same manner, and smiled weakly. They had done a good job, but needed more time. They were always running out of time... Snapping out of his thoughts and looking away from his friend, the messy-haired Goku look-alike caught sight of a figure in the sky rapidly heading towards the powering up Majin.

"Grandpa!" he shouted, jumping up and down in excitement and reemerging to Bardock's side. "It's my brother! It's my brother! Look! He's finally here!"

And what an entrance...

Despite his vision of Gohan approaching in his father's gi, Bardock was still expecting to find Gohan in his Saiyaman costume and was slightly disappointed when he wasn't. Still, his oldest grandson looked like a badass. Looking over at Piccolo, he knew the Namek, his guardian, was thinking the same thing. Without saying a word, the newly transformed Gohan had flown in before Buu attacked and struck him with the back of his fist across his jaw and the two went flying to the ground.

xxxxxxxx

Seeing actual evidence of pain that had formed on Majin Buu through his knuckle punch caused Gohan to feel a sense of euphoria. Ever since the Majin was hatched, he had been waiting for the moment he would see the monster cowering; true fear reflected in the eyes he loathed. His lips curled over his teeth, mimicking a smile, as he repeatedly struck Buu again and again. Harder. Fiercer. Wilder.

Buu's red eyes were widened in horror; shame and frustration. He thought he was having a hard time with the children, considering them a warm up at first until something snapped inside of them. The Majin became distracted by the sense of the power coming from this new fighter from afar, and he was convincing himself now that if he hadn't been, he would have killed that long-haired freak on the spot.

"You're really trying to fight Majin Buu, hot shot?" the monster coughed, getting himself together once again and standing up straight while looking into the confident face of Gohan. He had great height over the human, looking down at him as if he were nothing but a pest with a sinister grin.

"Fight you?" the hybrid spoke, returning the cruel smile. "No. I want to kill you."

Without a moment's hesitation, Gohan kicked Buu in the stomach and spun around to kick him in the neck. While Buu was struggling to make sense of what was happening, Gohan was already behind him and knocked him to the ground with a left hook. Grabbing his antenna, the hero threw the Majin into a distant mountain while the sounds of cheers coming from behind him filled his ears.

"Yeah, Gohan!" He turned around to see his little brother jumping up and down excitedly, waving a fist in the air. "You got him!"

Deciding to take Majin Buu's recovery moment as a quick reunion, he flew over to his loved ones and a smile quickly formed on his face seeing his grandfather wearing a look of extreme pride. "I really missed you guys. I'm so glad you're all okay," his grin grew wider seeing Dende was with the group. "Everything is going to be okay."

"I can't believe that you're the same four year old child that was too afraid to fly," Piccolo spoke, a genuine smile on his face while his old pupil had his eyes lit up. "You're so...confident now, Gohan. I can't believe you're this strong."

"And you're not even a Super Saiyan!" Trunks piped up, grinning from ear to ear. "You're so cool, Gohan! Do you think you can teach me how to be like that after this is all over!?"

"Yeah! Me too! Me too!" the mini Goku was clapping his hands while Gohan chuckled softly and began ruffling their hair.

Bardock was struggling with words to say while Trunks and Goten were giddy over their hero showing up just in time. The grandfather watched in silence as his grandsons exchanged quick hugs, and then Gohan's attention was finally on him. "Well, Gramps, what do you think?"

The Saiyan looked Gohan over; seeing him dressed in Kakarot's gi making him understand that his entire family was something beyond what the visions provided. How strange it was; knowing that one of the reasons they were so powerful was because of that heart he so strongly believed was nothing more than an organ that pumped blood. Smirking, Bardock crossed his arms over his chest. "I think Majin Buu is going to have nightmares in hell about Saiyans. Go get him, kid. I'm sure he's waiting for you."

"Right," Gohan nodded and then hesitant before giving his grandfather a short hug. Once he let go, he looked at his green dad and held out his arms awkwardly. "Uhm, Piccolo...?"

"No."

The teen glanced up to see Majin Buu fuming in the sky, but beckoning for the fighter to come after him. Without giving it a second thought, Gohan took off and left his loved ones behind. They were watching the sky in silence as the two were rapidly attacking each other, finally coming back down for a battle on the ground. It wasn't until Hercule spoke that they all realized they were holding in a breath.

"Was... Was that the same skinny kid who's dating my daughter!?" Mr. Satan frowned when nobody was answering him, so instead he looked down at Bee who was barking rapidly at something in the distant. "Bee... What's wrong, Bee!? What is it!?"

And then Hercule saw it.

Creeping out of the bushes, parts of Buu's body were sneaking across the ground and approaching the group. "HEY!" he shouted. "LOOK OUT!" Still, the fighters were ignoring him as if he wasn't the world champ. Growling, Mr. Satan hurriedly came up from behind the children and snatched them by their collars, bringing them by his side while they began shouting wildly.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing!?" Goten shouted as Hercule dropped him and Trunks on the ground. The son of Vegeta also began to fume, but Bardock and Piccolo weren't looking at them. Bee continued to bark, bringing Hercule's attention back to the front as the the pink flesh began to wrap itself around Piccolo's leg.

"Oh no!" the boys shouted. "Piccolo!"

The Namek began grunting, glancing down at his feet as the body part began growing to the point his arms were now trapped. Bardock tried getting him out of it, but was stunned when the afro-haired human leaped across and tackled the Saiyan. "Don't worry!" he yelled. "I'll save you!" Mr. Satan began shooting at the other pink flesh that was approaching them, and Bardock was snarling.

"Get the fuck off me before I blast you!" When Mr. Satan wasn't listening, Bardock was prepared to shove him off when he realized Hercule was pressed tighter against him. The terrified human looked over his shoulder and realized that their legs were stuck together by Buu's skin.

"Oh no!" he cried. "The Blob's got me!"

Bardock took a deep breath, his head beginning to pound as he looked over to see Piccolo was already consumed by the pinkness and was being dragged towards Buu's body. The pink began raising on the two men attached to each other on the ground, and Bardock managed to get a few words out before they were completely covered. "Just... Just shut up and listen. I think I know what he's trying to do. I don't like the fact that a man is pressed against my groin, but hold on tightly. I'm going to use a trick, and you just pray it keeps us alive."

"I'm not much of a praying man," Mr. Satan mumbled, looking into the narrowing eyes of Bardock while the blob was covering up to their necks. "But uh... I guess you know what you're doing." The two closed their eyes tightly, Bardock concentrating and the human on top of him depicting an image of a God in his mind and mentally asking him for forgiveness, doubting the armored being was going to save their lives.

The last thing they heard before they became completely covered was the sound of the children and Dende screaming.

xxxxxxxxx

"Why are you laughing!?" Gohan demanded, wiping the small trickle of blood off his chin while looking into the demented eyes of his enemy. "You're losing."

Buu continued chuckling, and then raised a hand to point at the area where his antenna was ripped off by Gohan when he was tossed against the mountain. "Aren't you forgetting pieces of of me are missing?"

The Saiyan warrior observed the damaged body for a moment, realizing that besides the antenna, bits and pieces of his right leg were missing. Raising a black eyebrow, Gohan got into another fighting stance and began charging his ki. "Who cares? You're going to be missing a lot more than that once I'm through with you!"

"Fool, do you not understand!?" Majin Buu chuckled, placing his hands on his hips. "Your precious brother, Namek, and grandfather are going to be a part of me! Just listen to those screams!"

"Huh!?" Gohan immediately whipped around, sure enough seeing his loved ones becoming covered in pink. What he couldn't see was Goten, Trunks, Dende, and Bee hiding behind the bushes. The teen was too frustrated and aching in his chest to sense them out. Without giving it any thought, the older brother began to take flight over to the struggling ones when he felt himself become frozen in place. "What the- OH NO!"

"I knew it!" Buu cheered, opening his arms wide open and waiting for the pieces of him to bring his treasure to him. "You know, Gohan, you're the only one I actually wanted! And now, you will be mine!"

The teen began struggling, screaming, his shame in himself for becoming distracted showing in the veins of his neck. The entire Earth grew silent when every fighter the Majin was able to collect were completely covered in his skin. Trunks and Goten were peaking their heads out from the bush, watching in horror as the pieces joined Buu once again. After a bright flash of light disappeared, the Majin stood proudly.

Wearing the outfit of Gohan.

"NO!" the little brother cried, emerging from the bush with Trunks and Dende by his side. "THAT MONSTER! HE'S KILLED MY ENTIRE FAMILY!" Tears began rushing down at his cheeks as his best friend held him up by his shoulder. Despite the anger rushing through Trunks, he was speaking calmly.

"Listen, maybe we can find a way to save them. Let's try to fuse again?"

"No," Goten spoke sadly, shaking his head. "It hasn't been enough time to try again! Besides, don't you feel that!? With my brother inside of him, he's stronger than Gotenks! Stronger than us!"

Trunks clenched his fists tightly, wanting to punch his friend in the face for being a quitter but also knowing he was telling the truth. The son of Vegeta began to speak when he grew silent in fear. The gi wearing Buu was right in front of them, chuckling darkly.

"Well, well, well," he spoke, sounding more literate than before. Goten and Trunks growled, moving closer beside each other with Dende, holding Bee, joining them for comfort. "Goten and Trunks! You know, I have the thoughts of your brother and Piccolo now... They're wondering why you two are such failures.." His smirk grew when he noticed they were trembling in anger, turning Super Saiyan because of it. "But I'll put you out of your misery right now."

The boys closed their eyes tightly, suddenly losing all motivation as they realized no matter where they went or how hard they tried, Majin Buu was going to kill them. Huddling tightly together, the remaining three and the scared puppy waited for the blast to hit.

But it never came.

Trunks blinked his eyes open slowly, and they quickly widened when he realized why. In all his halo glory, Prince Vegeta was standing protectively in front of the group. His sudden arrival had surprised but amused Buu-Han, who was now chuckling at how weak his new opponent was.

"Dad..." the boy whispered, reaching out to touch him to see if he was real. His little hands wrapped tightly around his father's wrist, and tears began brimming at his eyes. "You're... You're here."

Without looking at his son, Vegeta gave his hand a quick squeeze and then took off, bringing Buu-Han as far away as he could away from the boys. Trunks cried out seeing his father begin to disappear, wanting to fly off after him when another being suddenly appeared before them.

Goten blinked rapidly and tilted his head, taking in the sight of the newcomer. He was purple like the Shin man from the World Martial Arts Tournament, but his hair was long like the red guy's. "Who are you?" he asked innocently.

"Just call me Kibito Kai," he spoke eloquently. "Just grab onto me. Your mothers are waiting for you."

xxxxxxxxxxx

"I.. I can't believe that worked," Bardock blinked. Hercule was still holding on tightly to him with his eyes closed; a green force field having protected them from being entirely consumed by Buu. The Saiyan growled, suddenly feeling Mr. Satan squeezing tighter on him and dropping his field. "Get off of me, you freak!"

Opening his eyes slowly and realizing he was indeed alive, the strongest man in the world let go of Bardock and began jumping around. "We did it! We did it! We did! I guess my gun really worked, didn't it?" He winked his blue eye at the grumpy Saiyan, only to receive a snarl in return.

"Just my luck," he muttered, inspecting the area they had landed it. It was too dark to see anything, but it felt slimy and he could hear Buu laughing obnoxiously. "I'm stuck with this idiot."

"I think I found a way out of here!" Hercule called, and Bardock whipped around quickly to see the human already descending down a hole. "AHHH! Uh, uh, Bardock! Come get me, come get me!" The voice was becoming more and more faint, causing Bardock to slap himself in the face and wonder why this had to be his fate.

Quickly descending down the hole that Hercule had found, Bardock couldn't help but gag at the awful smell that was inside of Buu's body. Hercule was heard screaming, and the Saiyan quickly found out why once he landed in the same digestive fluid. The liquid was burning hot on him; and he couldn't imagine how it felt on Hercule's skin.

As Mr. Satan continued crying for help, Bardock contemplating on letting him die there. Just for a moment, as Videl had come quickly to mind. Cursing for the nth time under his breath, the messy-haired being lifted Hercule above his shoulders and slammed him down on the surface. "You can stop screaming now," Bardock rolled his eyes as the lug continued to show his lungs. "Oh, for fuck's sake, shut up or I'll throw you back in there!"

The afro-haired man immediately closed his mouth, but only for a second as strange green blobs began falling out of nowhere. Somehow, they avoided Hercule but covered Bardock's body. Mr. Satan pointed a shaky finger at the struggling Saiyan, trembling. "B-Bardock! What is that!?"

"The hell if I know!" he shouted, grunting and trying to break free. "But it's got me trapped!"

Mr. Satan let out a terrified scream, not sure what he would do if he lost this man. He began patting himself down, trying to see if his gun had came with him. Finally feeling the object, he let out a victorious yell and whipped it out. "Alright, amateur! Watch me save your ass again!"

Bardock momentarily stopped moving to glare at what the human was doing and groaned. "You've got to be kidding me! I-" The entire area began trembling, increasing as a strange shape was beginning to emerge from the darkness. Once it appeared, Bardock began sweating profusely when he realized a giant worm was snarling and prepared to chomp down on a pure Saiyan meal.

"You're uh," he swayed. "You're uh... pretty big..."

Before his eyes rolled to the back of his head, Bardock caught a glimpse of Hercule shooting at the worm and began to wonder what he could have possibly done in his lifetime to die near the bowels of his enemy.


	25. Rescue Mission

"Why haven't those fools fused yet?" Elder Kai snapped, looking down at the crystal ball while the wives had their backs turned to it and the old man that deceived them. He grumbled under his breath about stubborn women and then glanced up at Gine and Videl; the only other ones paying attention to the situation on Earth. "Do those two have a grudge or something?"

The teenage girl laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head and shrugging. "From what I've seen? I think so," she bit her bottom lip, becoming more serious while she watched the monster in her boyfriend's clothes begin to howl. "But you would think they'd give it up to save their home..."

Gine sighed ruggedly, still feeling disturbed by the fact she saw her husband and grandson become absorbed by Buu. "Excuse me... Elder Kai?"

The old man wriggled his eyebrows, scooting closer to the mother of Goku and winking. "Yes, beautiful lady?"

"God, it's like another Roshi!" 18 could be heard muttering in the background and caused Gine to laugh briefly before clearing her throat.

"Do you think it's possible to get Bardock and Gohan back?" she pouted, reluctantly saying the next part in a quiet voice. "Or is it too late?"

At the mention of her father-in-law's and son's names, Chi-Chi glanced over her shoulder silently to hear Elder Kai's response. The dead old man simply shrugged. "I suppose... If Goku and Vegeta somehow were able to get inside Buu's body without becoming absorbed themselves, they could locate the bodies of your loved ones and find a way to escape." Elder Kai began musing over his thoughts, rubbing his chin and then raising an eyebrow while observing Buu-Han, who was being double teamed by the Saiyans. "But I'm not so sure you need to worry about Bardock and the human that he absorbed. He hasn't taken on any of their characteristics yet."

"What do you mean?" Videl blinked. "Are you saying my father is still alive in there?"

Elder Kai nodded, placing his hands behind his back. "Notice how he speaks in the mannerisms of Piccolo, and wears the outfit of Gohan. There isn't a part of him that resembles your bumbling father or that uncivilized Saiyan."

"Where are they, then?" Gine tilted her head, batting her eyelashes in a way that wasn't meant to charm the old man but did anyway as he began blushing. "And where did Kibito Kai go? He kinda just...disappeared on us."

"MAMA!"

The crowd by the orb grew silent, except Elder Kai who just chuckled and gestured to the four who had just arrived. "You ladies were giving me such a hard time about tricking you, that I sent him to Earth to get your children back to you." He winked at Bulma, who began shaking as Trunks started running to her from the far distance where Kibito Kai had landed. Goten was following close behind; tears both in the children's eyes. "I think that deserves a kiss, doesn't it?"

Ignoring and leaving the puckering Shin-jin behind, Bulma was following Chi-Chi as the mothers met the boys somewhere in the middle. Goten leaped up to hug his mother at such a speed that it knocked the two on the ground. The mother was on her back, holding her son tightly in her arms as they cried and laughed together. Trunks was squeezing his mother's legs together and crying into the red fabric of her dress while she bent down to kiss his cheek repeatedly.

"I thought you were dead!" Trunks whispered, keeping his arms around Bulma. "And Dad... I saw him, Mom, I saw him! He saved me!"

"I know," Bulma cooed back with a sad smile on her face. "I know."

Chi-Chi was sitting on straight and holding onto Goten tightly while the boy sniffled on her shoulder. "I failed, Mama... He took Grandpa and Gohan from us! I'm so sorry..." He looked at her with watery onyx orbs while the mother rubbed his face with her thumb.

"Don't worry sweetie. I have news that's going to make you forget all of that awful stuff," Chi-Chi laughed softly when the mini Goku almost instantaneously brightened up, and she was relieved to see her familiar son. "Your father got his life back, Goten. He's going to save our family and Piccolo, and defeat Majin Buu and live with us forever. How does that sound?"

Goten's eyes widened with his disbelief reflected in them. "Do you mean it!? Forever!?"

"Yes," Chi-Chi was crying softly now and nodding. She began getting to her feet with the help of her little boy, and glanced at Bulma who winked at her and began walking back over to to crystal ball with Trunks. "And that's not all, honey. I want you to meet somebody and I think you're really going to like her. She already loves you."

Unable to take the suspense, Goten began jumping up and down wildly while Chi-Chi grabbed his hand to calm him down. The two were met halfway by the Saiyan female, who was gasping loudly while looking down at her youngest grandson. "Gosh! You do look like Kakarot! His little clone!"

"Ooh Mama, she's pretty!" Goten laughed, and then waved at the woman with a huge smile on his face. "Hi! My name is Goten, what's yours?"

Gine pressed her hands against her heart, trying to stop it from beating so much. She was looking at the child Kakarot that was sent away so many years ago; her little baby that she had no choice but to let go of. That messy hair, those innocent eyes that were the shape of her own... "I'm Gine," she finally breathed. "Nice to meet you, Goten. Do you know who I am?"

"No ma'am," he shook his head with a tiny blush, wondering if he was suppose to know but forgot or wasn't paying attention when one of the adults told him. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Gine smiled, kneeling down so she was closer in height to the boy. Her tail was swishing behind her, and Trunks was watching the duo interact with a raised lavender eyebrow. "We've never met before, but someone I love very much loves you, too. I'm your grandma, Goten. Bardock's wife."

Bulma and Chi-Chi began laughing when Goten's mouth opened as wide as it did when he tried eating watermelons. He pointed a small finger at her, trembling slightly but with a shy smile remaining on his face. "... Grandma?" When the sweet woman nodded, the boy ran to her and wrapped his arms around her neck. "Oh, I knew it, I knew it! I have a grandma!"

The corners of Trunks' lips turned downwards as he heard his friend say that word. Feeling someone tug at the bottom of her red dress, Bulma glanced down to see Trunks looking at her sadly. "Do you think Grandma and Grandpa are okay?"

The blue-haired woman smiled sadly and rested her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it once. "I haven't seen anything that would make me believe otherwise, Trunks. That's all I can say," she squeezed his shoulder again when his frown deepened and gestured over to the awkwardly misplaced Dende, who was still holding little Bee in his arms. "We still have the Earth's guardian with us; everything is going to be okay kiddo!"

Trunks waved at the teenage Namekian, who sighed in relief and made his way over to the group finally. "I'm so happy to see that you guys made it out alive!" Dende beamed while the Brief family gave him the two finger salute, but his smile quickly vanished when he observed the people around him and didn't find the one he was really hoping to see. He lowered his green head, looking at his shoes. "Oh, Mr. Popo... I'll make sure to bring you back. Everyone back."

"VIIIIIIIIDEL! OHHHH VIIIIIIDEL!" Goten's cheer forced the trio to look at him. The mini Goku was holding Gine's hand and walking her over to the teenage girl who was holding the crystal ball. She nearly broke it when she took her hands off it to wave at the child, causing Elder Kai to hiss and take it away from her. "Have you met my grandma!?"

"Yes!" the future sister-in-law laughed as the Son family sat around her and 18, who was paying more attention to her sleeping daughter instead of the little reunion going on. The Briefs and Dende, making sure Bee was following at his heels, soon joined alongside Kibito Kai and Elder Kai. "She's as kind as Bardock said she was."

"Hm?" Gine blinked, turning her attention away from the feuding Saiyans on the crystal ball. "He actually talked about me?"

Videl blushed, wondering if it was okay or not to discuss a conversation she had in private with the grumpy man and Gohan. Shrugging it off, the girl figured he couldn't really do anything about it anyway. "Yeah. Back at the World Martial Arts Tournament, he was telling me about all the times he saved you. Gohan asked him if you were still alive, but he said that when someone means so much to you, you can sense that sort of thing," Videl chuckled nervously and gestured to the halo floating above Gine's head. "And I guess he was right."

The female Saiyan shook her head with a satisfied smile on her face, mulling over the fact that her husband shared personal information about himself. And it even involved her! "What a change," she murmured. "I can't believe it..."

"Guys!" Trunks blurted out, having scooted closer to Elder Kai and his crystal ball once he saw something new was happening. "Look! What are my dad and Goku doing!?"

Kibito Kai raised a fist in the air, grinning wildly. "Alright! They're actually going to do it!"

"DO WHAT!?" Chi-Chi and Bulma snarled in unison, and the proceeded to pry the crystal ball out of the terrified Elder Kai's hands. Now in full possession of it, the wives hunched over the ball and were gripping it so tight it was close to shattering. The others were trying to peer over their shoulders; trying to get a glimpse of what was happening.

"Goooookuuuuuu," Chi-Chi scolded as if her husband could hear her. "You better take that earring off right now!"

"VEGETA!" Bulma shrieked, frightening Trunks who was floating up with Goten to see over their mothers. "DON'T YOU DARE DO IT!"

"What are they going to do?" Goten asked innocently, looking at his best friend who just shrugged and kept watching.

"AHHHHHH!"

The crystal ball dropped to the ground while the wives stood trembling at the image that now appeared. Seizing the opportunity, Trunks immediately snatched it up before anyone else could. The two best friends blinked, not having seen what happened but looking at the stranger who was smirking. "Who is that?"

Before Kibito Kai could respond, the fused figure began rapidly punching and kicking the sky at a speed that caused the boys to gasp loudly. When he was done, he chuckled darkly and looked at the now trembling Buu-Han. "Would you look at me? I'm setting records!"

The boys raised an eyebrow simultaneously and looked at each other with widened orbs. "Dude," Trunks blinked. "Is it just me, or did he sound like... both of our dads?"

"Yeah..." Goten blinked back, and then looked over his shoulder at his mother whose eye was twitching. "Mama, who is this?... Uhm, Mama?" He began waving his hand in front of her face, trying to get her attention but she was just as zoned out as Bulma was.

"Goten, he's going to speak again!"

The messy-haired child quickly looked at the figure in the crystal ball once again. The sacred World of the Kais had grown completely silent; and everyone was crowded around the boys to see the new fighter begin. "What do you call a Vegeta and a Goku? Vegito sounds nice..."

"TRUNKS! I GET IT NOW!" the son of Goku began jumping up and down excitedly. "They fused, they fused, they fused! Our dads fused!"

"Yes," Elder Kai chuckled. "And judging by the look on Majin Buu's face, even he knows he's about to get the beating of his life."

Trunks, not wanting to miss a second of his fused father killing Buu, turned around reluctantly to look at his mother only to have panic sweat forming around his forehead.

Bulma and Chi-Chi had fainted.

xxxxxxxxxx

"I can't even lay a hand on him," Vegeta muttered, coughing up some blood while Buu laughed menacingly in the sky. His brows furrowed against the glistening sweat on his forehead, pounding a fist on the ground and managing to stand upright again. "It's just like before...No," he clenched his fists tightly and snarled at the monster. "I won't let you get away this time!"

"Oh, Vegeta," Buu shook his head, smirking at the bleeding Saiyan and then cracking his neck. "Did you not learn your lesson the first time? Do you want to officially lose your body, now?"

The prince powered up to the best of his ability; the golden aura almost blinding as he charged a ki blast in his right hand. "I'd watch your mouth if I were you, pinky! Here, CATCH!" Vegeta sent the enormous blast towards Buu-Han, and gasped loudly when the monster sent it right back to him. The poor prince wasn't expecting it to hit so powerfully, and landed back on all fours while coughing.

"Sorry Vegeta, but this all ends now!" The pink monster wearing Gohan's gi raised his hand in the air and without hesitation, sent his red sphere towards the fallen prince. Vegeta looked up with weary eyes, cursing under his breath for failing again when a bright light came out of nowhere and knocked Buu's attack out of the way. While the smoke cleared up, the widow-peaked Saiyan spotted a certain three-eyed human with his hands in the shape of a triangle.

"It-It's you.." he rose to his feet, never the one to stay down even when he was in pain. He watched as Tien lowered his hands and nodded at the bloody prince .

"Hey, Vegeta... Long time, no see." All three of his eyes blinked while he took in the sight of the man who fought at the Cell Games beside him against the little blue Juniors; that being the last time he had ever seen the moody being. "Uh, nice halo."

"Errgh, get out of here!" Vegeta snapped, taking a deep breath as his eyes narrowed on the human. "You stand no chance against this bastard."

Tien chuckled, knowing for sure that some things never change. "Judging from what I've seen, you don't either." Buu's groaning caused the two to get into their fighting stances immediately and look up at the monster still floating in the sky.

"What hole are these pests coming out of!" he snarled. "No matter... I'll just get rid of you, too." Buu aimed two fingers at Tien and sent a sharp red blast in his direction. The human managed to dodge it, but it didn't stop him from looking on in horror at the mountains he had completely decimated with such a small move. Not taking any chances, Tien formed a diamond shape with his hands that he concentrated all of his energy on.

Zooming in on Buu-Han, Tien screamed, "TRI-BEAM HAAAAAAA!" as the large yellow beam headed straight to the smiling monster who didn't even try to dodge it. After releasing almost his entire energy on the attack, the three-eyed man began breathing heavily and trying to focus on his surroundings to the best of his ability. Once the smoke cleared, he felt his heart drop to his stomach at the Majin remained, completely in tact, at his place in the sky.

"You failed just like the others," Buu-Han spoke, revealing his fangs. "Now let me show you how it's done."

"No..." Tien breathed, taking a glance at the tired Vegeta who had been fighting long before he had appeared. "I used up the majority of my energy on that attack..." The human's vision was becoming so blurred to the point that he hadn't noticed the prince was right in front of him, trying to grab his arm and get him out of the way while Buu lifted both his arms up in the air, mimicking a spirit bomb, and charging a red orb. "V-Vegeta...?"

"A life for a life," he offered, but didn't look too happy as he allowed Tien to put his weight on him.

"You can run as much as you want!" the Majin laughed cruelly, watching and licking his lips as Vegeta and Tien began flying away. "You're not going to be able to dodge THIS! It's going to destroy your entire world because none of you could stop me!" He continue to howl as his sphere began to grow, but became immediately silence as he felt his body become split in three different areas. His antenna went up; his lower half went down; and his head and chest flipped over. In his confusion, he lost the orb as the not fully charged destruction bomb made its way in the opposite direction of the two that were trying to escape, destroying mountains that were once beautiful and luscious green.

Vegeta and Tien landed to see what had happened, and Buu's legs dropped right beside them. "KAKAROT!" the prince growled, finally seeing the figure in the sky that had caused the pink monster to become chopped up. "What in the hell are you doing here!?"

Goku ignored the upset Saiyan on the ground, smirking at the upper body of Buu who still seemed a bit stunned at what had just happened. "Where did you come from!? Bah.. You're much smarter than the others to try a sneak attack on me. You won't win; not against me." His lips curled up into a sinister smile. "I absorbed your friends, they belong to me. I overpower you."

At the mention of that, Buu made his legs kick a distracting Tien in the back of his head, sending him forward and rendering him unconscious. Clenching his fists tightly at the sneak attack on his friend, Goku clenched his fists together and didn't waste any more time. "I've got a proposition for you, Buu, and now I'm not going to show you any mercy once it's over after what you just did to my friend."

Buu continued to smile, bringing his body parts back together as one. "Go on."

"Since you're weak on your own and had to absorb my son to get stronger, I think it's only right for you to fight a worthy opponent that's going to give you a good fight. If you let me fuse, I promise you're going to die."

Buu threw his head back and clutched his stomach, unable to take the bullshit he was hearing. Bringing his eyes back on Goku, he wiped an imaginary tear away from his eyelid and placed his hands on his hips. "Alright, alright. I'm already bored as it is. It looks like your only choice is that weakling down there." He gestured to the pissed off prince and began laughing loudly again. "I'll give you one minute. Your time starts now."

Making sure his earring was on nice and tight, Goku grinned and flew down to Vegeta who was giving him the death glare. "Get out of my way, Kakarot! I don't need your help!"

The Saiyan took in the sight of the beaten prince and chuckled softly. Taking the earring out of the inside of his gi, he offered it to the stubborn one. "Look, Vegeta. The only chance the Earth has is if we put our powers together and fuse. These potara earrings are the strongest method." He frowned when he noticed the prince looked in the opposite direction and swatted his hand away. Goku took on a tougher, louder, fiercer tone. "Vegeta. We need to fuse. We have to fuse. The-"

"Look, Kakarot!" Vegeta snapped, pushing the messy-haired Saiyan away from him. In the background, Buu could be heard counting down. "I absolutely refuse to share a body with you, I-"

"WOULD YOU GIVE UP YOUR PRIDE!" Goku snapped back, shoving Vegeta back as the two glowered at each other. "WAKE UP, VEGETA! Everyone is gone, everyone! Even the person I know you care about! Buu ate Bulma! She can't even die!" When he saw the prince beginning to tense up and his features soften slightly, Goku decided to keep up this attitude so the truth about the prince's wife wouldn't be revealed. "You always talk about our Saiyan race, how we are the last of mighty people. Well it's time to accept we're starting a new race, one that can be just as strong, just as proud! But we can't when we're so tied up in our own... BIRTH RIGHTS to see what we have right in front of us! We lost our old race, Vegeta! We can't lose this one, too!"

The two Saiyans stood face to face, looking into each other's eyes until the determination and stubbornness of the shorter one caved in. Without saying a word, he held out a hand and Goku beamed, placing the other earring there. "Right ear, right?"

"Yes," Goku smiled. "Thanks... Vegeta. Oh by the way," he added as the earring was already in the Saiyan's ear. "We are going to be stuck like this forever!"

"Oh, you god damn idiot!" Vegeta screamed, before their bodies were uncontrollably drawn to each other and a giant flash of light appeared that nearly blinded Buu-Han as he closed his eyes.

Upon reopening them, the Majin tilted his head so much that it was guaranteed he had no bones. He began twitching, stunned at what he was feeling as he looked at the new being on the ground. This stranger was wearing an inverted gi of Goku's, but with Vegeta's white boots and gloves. His dark brown hair spiking up like the prince, but with two bangs making a downward V shape rested on his forehead.

"...Vegito sounds alright," the combined voices of the two fights was finally heard by the Majin as he snapped back to his senses. He was sure of two things now.

The stranger's name is Vegito.

And he's immensely powerful.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hell doesn't smell very good.

Bardock's nose was the first of his body parts to gain senses, only to wish it wasn't. His hands picked up the feeling of something warm and squishy, and then his ears heard a bunch of voices and particularly the sound of someone puking right beside him. His nose confirmed this.

Opening his eyes slowly, he saw a sick looking Vegeta doubled over. "The Little Prince... I am in Hell. Huh."

"You piece of trash," Vegeta glared, trying to straighten himself up a bit and avoiding eye contact with the business Goku was dealing with. "Your clown of a son just saved you from becoming dinner to an overgrown...worm." When he shuddered at the word, Bardock sat up straight and turned his head to see his son having a conversation with three worms; one much, much larger than the other two.

"Holy shit," Bardock breathed, rubbing the back of his head. "Wh... What. How did you get here!? Where the hell is Satan!? Did he finally die!?"

"I'm right here, buddy!" a loud voice called out, causing Bardock to groan in agony that his hopes were ruined. Hercule was cowering behind Goku, who was casually speaking to the monstrous worms like they were his friends. "I saved your life for the second time and then your little friends showed up to clean house! Isn't that right, messy-haired dude?" Mr. Satan poked Goku's back, but the hero was ignoring him.

"I'm looking for my son and a green guy... Have you seen them?" Goku politely questioned the upset father of the two worms while the eyes of Bardock and Vegeta twitched rhythmically.

"Great," Vegeta grimaced, holding his stomach tightly. "Kakarot's making friends with worms now."

Bardock tried his hardest to look away while getting to his feet. He was just as nauseous as the prince about the disgusting creatures inside of Buu's body. Instead, he focused on the halo above the flame-haired one's head. "Vegeta... What happened? How were you able to come back to Earth?"

The prince held out a finger to let the scar-faced Saiyan know he needed a moment to figure out if he had to throw up again or not. "The Earth needed a warrior that could handle the situation properly, so-"

"So the overseer sent Kakarot."

Vegeta casually flipped Bardock off, causing the father of Goku to smirk. "No, dumbass. Yemma sent me, I don't know how the hell Kakarot got his life back. We..." he blinked and slightly turned red, turning his eyes away from the raised eyebrows of Bardock.

"What did you guys do?"

"We FUSED!" Goku spoke proudly, glancing over his shoulder and flashing the fuming Vegeta and the shocked Bardock a thumbs up. "I wish you could have saw us, Dad! It was great!"

"...Fused?" Bardock chuckled while looking at Vegeta who was glaring at him through his peripherals. "You, the prick of all Saiyans, actually did the fusion dance?"

Vegeta growled under his breath and grabbed one of Bardock's green straps tightly. "For your information, we used the method of-"

"UH OH!" the worms screamed, causing Vegeta to become as white as a ghost and hide behind Bardock. The entire surface became rocking wildly, and Goku backed himself and Hercule up by his father's side. "POTTY TIME!"

The four pair of eyes widened in horror as a slush of water and undigested sweets overtook them and carried them away down the rapid. The worms were already gone from sight; their screams disappearing while Hercule began crawling on top of Bardock. "I think this is a good time for a chicken fight, isn't it pal!?"

"Get the fuck off my-" Bardock's voice turned into a gurgle as he was brought under water. He screamed loudly when a piece of something unknown went inside of his mouth and he blasted Hercule off. The champ flew up a bit, but ended up splashing back in the current next to Goku. "Oh God, I'm going to die! It went in my mouth!" While he began spitting up whatever 'it' was, Goku began cheering and flailing his arms like he was on a roller coaster.

"Woo! Some party!"

"Idiot!" Vegeta snarled. "He said potty time, not party time!"

"Oh.. Oh!" Goku blinked and shouted over the sound of the water. "I guess we're not going to make the most graceful of exits!"

Vegeta's eye twitched while imagining his fate and shook his head wildly. "NOT ME!"

"What do you suppose we do!?"

"RUN!" Goku watched as Vegeta brought himself out of the current and took off, leaving him behind. Once Bardock saw the prince escaping, he quickly did the save.

"Hey!" the hero pouted. "Wait for me!"

"AND ME!" Hercule cried, and the messy-haired Saiyan sighed. He grabbed Mr. Satan by the arm and immediately followed where his rival and father went; seeing they made a hole in Buu's body and going through it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"The worms said that Piccolo and Gohan went in the direction of Buu's head," Goku spoke as he walked behind Vegeta and Bardock. His father was still trying to scrub off his tongue with his red wristband, and the son began to wonder where the navy one on his other wrist came from but shrugged it off. "And it has to be up here because this is the only place we haven't looked!"

Mr. Satan frowned when the two ahead of him weren't answering the man beside him. They were the only ones in the world that ignored him; so he knew how awful it felt! Didn't they know they were in the prescence of a champ!? "Thanks for grabbing me back there, man. I appreciate it. Still don't know when this crazy dream will end, but thanks."

"No problem," Goku chuckled nervously, unsure of what else to say to him. "But I'm sure the world champion would have found a way."

"Of course! Ahahaha."

The four were traveling through what appeared to be the neurons of Buu's brains. Everything was dark and cold, but the path they were on was illuminated enough to guide them. When Bardock turned his head to look around, Hercule caught sight of his scar and decided to make conversation since everyone besides Goku were being silent. "Is it true chicks dig scars? I was thinking about getting one myself... Not that I have trouble with the ladies," Hercule laughed proudly, raising his chin up higher after stroking his own ego. "But I bet a scar will make me the true masterpiece! What do you think?"

"I'll give you one myself," Bardock muttered his breath, feeling his head pound from the man's voice. "Just please...shut up. You're making my ears bleed."

"Uh oh!" Hercule announced, causing Bardock to curse loudly. "Fork in the road! Which way do we go?"

Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest and examined the paths. "Kakarot, use your instincts. Right or left?"

"Hmmm," Goku mused and tapped his chin while thinking. "I have to say... left!"

"Good. I'm going right." The prince began walking in said direction, leaving Goku behind to pout while Bardock smirked. Without saying a word to his son, he decided to follow Vegeta after having a feeling that the prince was a slightly better tactician than his son.

"Ah, Dad!" Goku shouted at the back of his disappearing father. "You too!? Aw man..." he frowned and rubbed his neck while looking at the confused Hercule. "Well.. You wanna go with me or them?"

Mr. Satan blinked, taking a look at the rude men and then at the kind hero to easily make his decision. "You, of course! Hercule happily joined Goku's side as the two wandered down the path. The afro haired man fiddled with his thumbs, trying to make conversation with the male. "So... you're the dad of that skinny kid my daughter's been talking to, aren't ya? I remember you from the tournament!"

"Yup!" Goku beamed and pounded his chest. "That's me! We are actually trying to find that skinny kid. His name is Gohan and-"

"That's him, ain't it!?"

The two had entered a dark hole and came across a glowing figure that had his back turned to them. Hercule seemed to recognize him by his hair, but Goku wasn't taking any chances. He got into a protective stance in front of the human and said in a demanding voice, "Who are you!? Come into the light!" When the figure turned his body around one hundred and eighty degrees, Goku sighed in relief when Hercule's prediction was correct. "Gohan!"

But something was terribly wrong, and only Hercule could tell. The way that man was looking at them was unlike anything he saw of that skinny kid from the tournament. He was... terrifying. Scowling. Angry.

"Uh, uh, buddy?" Hercule nervously tapped the happy Goku's shoulder. "I don't think-"

Goku ignored Mr. Satan's warning and walked towards his son with a huge smile on his face. "Way to survive, son! Come on, let's go home now! I'm so proud of-" Hercule watched with wide orbs as Gohan struck out his leg and kicked his father back a few feet. The messy-haired one landed beside Hercule and gasped. "GOHAN! What's the big idea, son!? Why did you hit me!?"

"I don't think that's your real son!" Hercule pointed out as the teen's eyes began to glow. The human began to tremble as Gohan began taking slow steps towards them. "Ah geez, and my gun is all out of bullets..."

xxxxxxxxxxx

"So you saw the king?" Bardock chuckled with his arms crossed over his chest. "Did he have to lean down to hug you?"

"Oh, shut up!"

A sudden ki blast came emerging from the darkness, sending the surprised Saiyans backwards. Getting to their feet quickly, the saw the Namek with glowing eyes walking towards them with a permanent frown on his face. "Piccolo..." Bardock's eyes narrowed. "Looks like him, anyway."

"Well I'm not taking any chances!" Vegeta immediately powered up into a Super Saiyan, while Bardock reluctantly did the same. He wasn't sure why the form was neccessary to fight this Piccolo until the Namek suddenly was behind him and had his arm wrapped around his neck tightly. Piccolo lifted Bardock up so his legs were dangling and began choking him even more while the Saiyan struggled to set himself free.

"What the fuck," he coughed. "Is going on!" Bardock was digging his nails into Piccolo's skin until he managed to elbow him harshly in the stomach. Once the Namek backed off a few inches, he kicked him in the stomach and sent him away. While the scar-faced one was trying to catch his breath, Vegeta was rolling his eyes.

"Oh, was the big tough Namek too much for you?" Vegeta's laughter ended abruptly when Piccolo came out of nowhere and dropped down on his shoulder. Bardock watched in silence as the prince was getting his ass kicked, knocking Piccolo out, getting his ass kicked, and knocking Piccolo out again. Then, the Namek rose again without a bruise or scratch on him. "WHY WON'T YOU DIE!" The prince got his ass kicked again.

"The big tough Namek too much for you?" Bardock mocked, rolling his eyes.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hercule watched as Goku and Gohan went head to head, punching each other rapidly and blocking successfully until one of Gohan's knuckle punches sent him flying downwards. "You may not be my son," Goku smirked and wiped his bloody lip. "But you sure fight like him."

When the messy-haired man turned golden, Mr. Satan felt crushed and helpless. Thoughts of the Cell Games ran through his mind as Goku nearly knocked his son out; only for the teen to flicker like a hologram and immediately get back on his feet. "Gosh," he mumbled. "I'm.. I'm suppose to be the champ. These golden fighter freaks were suppose to be gone forever..."

Snapping out of his woes, he glanced up to see that the two were up in the air once more. For the life of him, he would never know how they came out with these crazy tricks. "Maybe they're just a family of magicians!" Hercule spoke in horror, taking a step back as they began screaming and a light began forming in the palm of their cupped hands. "And..and my poor Videl is trying to get mixed up with that!? I don't think so! No daughter of mine is going to live life as a magician!"

The magicians both shouted, "HAAAAAAAA!", and the beam struggle between the orange clad fighters began.

xxxxxxxxxxx

"Watch it Vegeta," Bardock's smirk grew two sizes watching the imaginary Piccolo kick the prince's head and sent him flying to a wall of Buu's mind. "He's making you look bad."

"Well I don't see you doing shit!" the prince, fed up with the damn Namek and the mouthy Saiyan, snarled. He watched as Piccolo flickered for a moment and then settled his eyes on him. "Damn, where is that clown when you need-" The wall Vegeta was leaning against suddenly burst and he landed on all fours, covered with pink goo and shuddering.

Raising an eyebrow, Bardock saw his son on the other side in the air dodging punches from his grandson. "Gohan? What in the fuck is going on here..."

"Bardock! Quick!" Hercule came running through the hole and ended up in front of the warrior who was doing nothing just like him. "Why don't you do one of your magic tricks?"

Bardock closed the lips of Mr. Satan with his fingers and held them together tightly until the human stopped muffling. He watched as the prince and his son stood back to back as Piccolo and Gohan were closing in one them. "They look good fighting together, don't they?"

"Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!"

The scarred Saiyan realized he was still holding onto Hercule's mouth and let go, rubbing his hand against the side of his pants. Noticing that his son and Vegeta didn't have any more options left, Bardock sent a single blast to Piccolo's head while he was charging his special beam cannon and then blinked at what he saw.

"Oh my God!" Hercule yelled. "You turned that green dude into cake!"

"Uh... Dad?" Goku spoke to his father, but kept his eyes locked on Gohan who was about to Kamehameha him into next Tuesday. "Can you materialize things or something?"

"I... I don't think so..." Bardock stared at his hand for a moment and began to wonder if he somehow had gained the power to turned people into dessert. "I don't know what the hell is going on!"

As soon as he said that, Gohan turned into a piece of pie. Vegeta sighed in relief, seeing that the danger was gone and realizing what had happened. "That fatass must be hungry. Come on, let's just find the Namek and the spawn and get out of here."

Deciding it was best to forget about what just happened, the group continued to explore the dark and damp area of Buu's mind. Coming around the corner, Goku smiled wildly at what he saw. Inside of some strange, pink cocoon was Piccolo, with only his head showing. "PICCOLO!"

"Well, check him first!" Vegeta snapped. "Make sure he's alive before you celebrate!"

Goku flew up and clung to the pod, resting a hand on Piccolo's neck and smiling when he felt a pulse. "He is! He is alive! Man, what a relief!" the hero looked at his long time friend with pride at what he had done for his boys, and then his eye caught sight of another pod containing Gohan. "YES! They're both here! We found them!"

Not wanting to spend any more time in Buu's mind, Vegeta helped Bardock get Piccolo detached from the surface while Goku did the same with Gohan. They were so distracted by it that they didn't notice the black pool forming behind them until Hercule started making strange noises and pointing.

"You better leave my people pods alone..."

"AHHHH!" Mr. Satan screamed, tugging on the arm of Bardock who was seething. "BUU!"

"How can he be inside his own body!?" Vegeta exasperated while Bardock mouthed 'what-the-fuck' to himself twice. Hercule was already miles away from them, not wanting anything to do with this nightmare anymore.

Buu began screaming wildly, prepared to kill the two and even Bardock that refused to be absorbed. Feeling the terrible energy emerging from him, Vegeta snarled. "I think we're in trouble!"

"Well we wouldn't be if you didn't destroy the earrings!" Goku snapped. "You could've just stuck it into your pocket!"

Hearing the two start to argue like a married couple, Buu stopped powering up and began howling. "Ah, I see! So you can't fuse! I'm going to have so much fun killing you all."

"DAMMIT KAKAROT, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO TELL HIM!?" Vegeta yelled, looking over his shoulder at the panic sweat-covered Goku. "HOW ABOUT YOUR WIFE'S BRA SIZE MAYBE!?"

"34 B," Bardock casually replied. "Whatever the fuck that means."

"How.. How do you know that, Dad?" Goku asked, tilting his head.

The father shrugged. "It was in your closet when she forced me to wear your god awful gi."

"HEY!" Goku pouted. "It's not awful!"

Majin Buu emerged from his dark pool and snickered at the bickering bunch. "Oh yes, I'm going to enjoy killing you all."

Hercule Satan watched from afar as the Majin was threatening the lives of his new Saiyan friends. He rubbed the back of his head, looking at his surroundings until something caught his eye that made his heart nearly stop and his blue eyes water. Inside one of the pods, was Buu. His Buu. His one and only friend. "Buu..." The afro man took a quick glimpse at the others to make sure they weren't watching him, and he made his way over to the resting pink being. "Well, if these guys won't save you, I will!"

Using all his mighty strength, he began pulling and yanking on the pod but began to sweat profusely. "Those guys must have got their little friends so easily because they had duds!" he frowned. "Of course, always leaving the big job to me!"

The grunts of Hercule suddenly caught the attention of Super Buu, who was more than prepared to kill the pests inside his mind. But now the monster's attention and horror was on the sight of Mr. Satan trying to tamper with his most important pod. "No!" he screamed out, causing the three Saiyans to jump and turn around to see what he was looking at. "Please don't do that... If you tear those attachments, I won't be me anymore!"

Seeing the terror in Super Buu's face caused Vegeta to smile devilishly. "Interesting," he chuckled, and quickly appeared beside Hercule and grabbed onto the pod. "Won't be you, huh? Let's give it a try, shall we?"

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" the Majin screamed, as the father and son exchanged looks. Never the one to take orders, the prince smirked and easily ripped the fat Buu's pod off and tossed it. As the previous attachment came to a stop, Buu began melting away like a witch until he was nothing. Bardock sarcastically clapped his hands while Hercule and Vegeta joined their side.

"That was rather anti-climatic if you ask me," Bardock shrugged his shoulders and placed the Piccolo pod under his Herculean arm. "Let's just get out of here. I think I've enough of this shit."

"I'm right there with you," Vegeta nodded, obviously pleased with himself as he began taking off ahead of the others. "We need to find a reasonable and graceful escape."

Bardock began to follow after making sure Goku had a good hold of Hercule and Gohan's pod, and the father and son duo eventually caught up to Vegeta who was looking around for any sign of an exit. It wasn't until they began sweating profusely that they noticed the area they were in was becoming extremely hot all of a sudden.

"Am I crazy," Goku breathed out, blinking his eyes rapidly to keep the sweat off them. "Or is this place beginning to change?"

"YES!" Vegeta yelled, not bothering to look back at the one he considered a clown. "Buu is morphing yet again, we need to get out!"

They all had to come to halt when they noticed a bunch of holes spewing steam as if they were close to eruption. "It's exactly like a volcano," Bardock muttered, thankful that his headband was absorbing his perspiration. "We're all going to be cooked alive."

"NO!" Hercule cried from under Goku's grip. "I don't want to die! Not underneath a man's armpit!"

"Not this way," Vegeta declared, blinking through his sweat that was dripping from the bridge of his nose. "Come on, let's keep moving and fast!" It was unanimously decided that the prince was their leader, and the trio with their luggage flew as fast as they could despite the haziness of their vision. Goku's palm became so sweaty that Gohan's pod slipped away from him.

Immediately, the messy-haired father took off after him and grabbed him just in time before his son could hit the burning surface. Goku's butt, however, wasn't so lucky. The hero let out a howl, jumping in the air and wiggling his butt like mad trying to cool it off. Blushing in embarrassment at his little dance routine, Bardock looked away while Vegeta snarled.

"KAKAROT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

"Whaddya think!?" he shouted back, turning around to look at the ashamed prince. "I'm trying to cool myself off!"

"You do have some nice moves," Hercule added. "And thanks for not dropping me!"

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Bardock suddenly shouted, causing the arguing Saiyans to look at him. "There's something that's going to come out of that hole!" Sure enough, a blast of hot steam emerged and thanks to the scarred fighter's warning, Goku and Vegeta were able to get out of the way. They watched where the steam was going, remembering how it always emerged from Buu's holes, and saw an opening up above where the hot air was released.

The group immediately flew off, but just before they could reach it, the hole disappeared. "Darn it!" Goku yelled, and took a deep breath. "OPEN...SESAMEEEEEEEEEE!"

Vegeta looked over at Bardock, who was blushing yet again. "You know that's your offspring, right?"

Ignoring the comment, Bardock sighed and looked at where the hole should have been. "Son, your little password didn't work... We need to think of something else. Come on, come on..." he closed his eyes tightly and growled. "Dammit! We're all going to fucking die in here!"

"Do you really think if it happened once, it'll happen again?" Vegeta shook his head, feeling the same as Bardock until Goku smiled his goofy grin.

"That's it! Remember every time Buu gets mad, he blows his steam out?" Goku was smiling like a child as he handed Hercule and Gohan over to Vegeta. Seeing the afro-haired human being offered to him caused the prince to turn up his nose, pointing at Bardock but taking Gohan. Without listening to his father's protest, he gave him Mr. Satan and then rubbed his free hands together. "You guys just wait right there! We're going to get out of here!"

The Saiyans watched in curiosity as Goku waited for the steam to appear. Once it did, he began charging an energy wave. "Do you guys see the hole yet!?"

Vegeta glanced up and almost felt himself smile. "YES! IT'S OPEN!"

"HAAAAAAA!" Goku's powerful and giant blast was released and caused the steam to grow as the Saiyans, Hercule, and the pods of Gohan and Namek used it to escape through the hole. "WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Goku cheered wildly with the biggest grin on his face. Bardock caught sight of it before they were successfully out of Buu's body and shook his head.

Just like his goddamn mother...

xxxxxxxxxxxx

The six bodies had popped out of Buu and into the air, much to the conscious ones' relief. Not able to levitate, Mr. Satan crashed onto the ground made a tiny crater while Vegeta rolled his eyes. With Bardock grabbing Piccolo and Goku grabbing Gohan, the rest of the group began descending. They landed a good distant from the fallen Hercule, and placed Piccolo and Gohan on the ground to check their pulse.

Bardock sighed in relief when Goku flashed him a thumbs up. "It's okay. They're going to be alright."

"Good," the scarred one gave his son a weak a smile and then the sound of Majin Buu screaming his lungs out caused him to glance at the cliff where the pink creature looked as if he was melting. "Shit, don't tell me he's transforming again!"

"Ugh, no!" Goku groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "If he keeps this up, he's going to be stronger than before!"

Vegeta clenched his fists tightly as the Majin began screaming bloody murder; as if he was literally dying on the inside. His chest was heaving; his veins were pulsating and his eyes were bugging out. "I know," the prince whispered. "I know."

When Buu began to shrink twice his side, Bardock began to feel better and even chuckled a little. "Hey prince, now you can pick on someone your own-" he suddenly grew into silence as his heart sunk to the bottom of his stomach.

Majin Buu was done morphing.

He was short, yes.

But resembled the form of Buu that had destoryed Earth in his visions.

"Ha!" Goku laughed and elbowed Vegeta. "And you were scared!"

"Whatever," Vegeta smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. "I can't believe this is his final transformation! He looks like a child! We'll destroy him in no time."

"No..." Bardock whispered, a horrific expression taking over his face as he began backing up slowly. Vegeta and Goku glanced over their shoulders at him with raised eyebrows.

"What's wrong, Dad?"

Trying his hardest to snap out of his fear, he placed his hands on his son's shoulder. "We need to leave, now. That Buu is going to destroy the Earth completely!"

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Oh, I highly doubt-"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The screaming started emerging from Kid Buu's mouth, shaking the entire planet like the worst earthquake in history. Bolts of lightening were descending from darkening clouds, destroying every mountain and every other living lifeform that couldn't be saved. It was so loud, that the Saiyans had to hold their hands to their ears to muffle the sound but it still wasn't enough.

Once his scream had ended, Kid Buu took on a serious expression and aimed his hand at the surface beneath his cliff. A red destruction sphere like the one Super Buu had tried to use against Vegeta and Tien emerged, heading straight to the core of the planet while the Saiyans hurriedly sent powerful energies to block it. The red orb flung away and destroyed the last of the mountains, causing Kid Buu to glare at the ones who ruined his fun.

Huffing, Goku looked at his father and now believed him. "That.. That little sphere was strong enough to wipe out the entire planet! Good blocking, guys. I don't-"

"HEY, BUU!" Vegeta screamed, much to Bardock's dismay as Kid Buu smirked at the angry prince. "I HOPE THAT WASN'T MEANT FOR ME!"

"Vegeta-"

Bardock was silenced as Kid Buu raised his arm in the air, mocking the spirit bomb, and putting his entire life's energy into sphere. "KAKAROT!" the father screamed, grabbing his son's wrist. "WE NEED TO GO BACK FOR THE BOYS AND GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE, NOW! I SAW IT IN THE VISION, WE ARE ALL GOING TO BE GONE!"

Goku was too stunned and broken by the devastating power he was feeling coming from Buu's destruction bomb. "I... I can't stop that..." Vegeta looked at his rival with true fear in his eyes now, hearing the sound of despair and hopelessness for the first time in his voice. "WHY!? WHY!?" the hero began to scream, feeling every bit and piece of him shattering. "HAVE MERCY, BUU! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS!"

It was too late.

The sphere was heading towards them, and Bardock's heart, which he never believed did anything more than pump blood, was breaking with an emotion he never thought he would feel again. His mind brought him back to Frieza's Supernova; how he couldn't protect Planet Vegeta and his wife from death. And now, he couldn't protect Earth.

He failed.

"BARDOCK, VEGETA!" Goku's voice broke him out of his thoughts as the sphere was burning closer and closer towards them. "Let's get Gohan and Piccolo and I'll instant transmission us somewhere!"

"Right!" the two devastated Saiyans spoke in unison as the trio took off. They were approaching the spot where they had left Gohan and Piccolo, but on their way was the desperate face of Hercule looking up at them with tears in his eyes.

Bardock knew as soon as his son saw the human that he had no choice but to save him. Just as he predicted, Goku swooped down while Vegeta started cursing under his breath about being a traitor to his own son. Without giving it much thought and not seeing the moment Goku picked up Mr. Satan, Bardock forced himself to fly faster than he ever thought he could, and not paying attention the deadly blast coming up on him. All that ran through his mind was his grandson and the Namek that didn't deserve to die. That needed to live.

"Not after all this" Bardock yelled, descending to the unconscious pair and holding them under either arm. His feet grew wobbily on the ground, feeling the burning of Buu's blast through his Saiyan boots. His forehead was going sweaty... His vision getting hazy as he glanced up at the sky matching the color of blood from Buu's attack and making out the shape of his son and the prince.

He was unable to hear what they were saying; a buzzing noise was the only sound going through his ears.

"My name is Goten!"

"Goten? That's a stupid name."

"So is Bardock!"

"Goten..." Bardock whispered, closing his eyes tightly while the Earth began to tear away and his skin began to burn.

"The fuck is that?"

"I am guardian of the city! I'm the one and only... Great Saiyaman!"

His arm held the teenager in his arm tighter.

"...Now I see you running around with no good thugs!?"

"Thug? By the tone of your voice, it sounds like you want to fight."

"If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!"

"Chi-Chi.." His orbs opened abruptly, finding the strength he needed to get off the ground.

"KAKAROT!" Vegeta screamed. He was holding on tightly to Goku's leg, waiting him to use instant transmission already but in disbelief of what he had done. "YOU'RE LEAVING YOUR FATHER AND SON TO DIE!"

"It's no good!" Goku screamed while placing two fingers on his forehead, holding on tight to the trembling Hercule and ignoring Vegeta. The powerful red and devastating orb was coming up closer and closer behind them, and the hero feared the worst for his father, already knowing the blast had taken him, Gohan, and Piccolo. "I can't concentrate!"

Kibito Kai suddenly appeared in front of the Saiyans, offering his arm with helpless eyes. Time felt like it froze as Goku extended his hand forward, only to hear the prince shout one more time. "BARDOCK! GRAB ON!" Vegeta had his arm extended out, having caught sight of the Saiyan holding onto two familiar bodies.

Bardock struck out his foot as Vegeta gripped it with his free hand just in time as Earth, their home, obliterated into nothing.


	26. The Most Dangerous Buu

Bardock collapsed onto the grass of the new world, releasing Gohan and Piccolo as he did so. Feeling defeated and ashamed, the scarred face Saiyan pounded his fist angrily on the ground while his son was kneeling not too far from him, doing the same thing.

"I let him kill all those people, our home..." Goku spoke through clenched teeth, his eyes pained as he thought about the faces of the terrorized people before they burned up. "The Briefs, Tien... they're all gone!"

"I should have warned you," Bardock shook his head, not turning his attention away from his unconscious grandson and the Namek. He didn't want to look into either of the other two Saiyans' eyes and see their pain, their horror. "I should have-"

"VEGETA!"

"GOKU!"

"...Bardock?"

The three were too busy kicking themselves over the loss of the planet to have noticed the group that were screaming their names until the three wives closed the distance between them. Vegeta and Goku glanced up from their kneeling positions, but Bardock fully got to his feet to take in the sight of the woman calling his name; the Saiyan began to feel his knees growing weak, almost regretting standing up if it weren't for those wide eyes looking at him in such devotion.

After what seemed like a thousand years, Gine was just a mere foot away from him. Just as usual when she was around, Bardock felt the disappointment in himself fade away almost instantaneously.

The only one to not believe he was crazy, the only one who could talk him out of his reckless decisions... she was right before him in all her Saiyan armor clad, downward spiky hair glory. The halo above her head making her appear even more heavenly than she already was.

"An angel..." he finally breathed, causing Gine to blush as closed the final inch between them. He reached a hand out to touch her face, and tensed up slightly when he realized she was, in fact, real. "Did I not survive the explosion?"

A familiar smile of 'no-you-dumbass' crossed her face as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Of course you did, silly. Maybe you could consider me your reward?"

Flashing a smirk that revealed his fangs, Bardock placed his hands on her small waist to look into her teary eyes. It wasn't until they were there that he realized how much he truly missed his mate. It was as if just knowing he was finally in the presence of Gine that nothing else really mattered.

Kid Buu reforming himself at the very moment Bardock was feeling pure bliss? The situation just didn't seem helpless anymore. He didn't feel helpless anymore. "Oh, absolutely."

The other two wives watched in jealousy as the parents of Goku locked lips together. Passionately. For a long time. Bulma slapped the arm of her dead husband, who was now standing by her side. "Hey, Mr. Prince of all Saiyans! Where is my greeting?"

Finally realizing that his blue-haired woman was there, Vegeta scowled. "Why are you alive!?"

"Excuse me!?"

"You're alive!" Vegeta snarled, but was now looking at his rival who was getting the third degree from his own harpy. "Kakarot, you deceitful clown! You said she was dead!"

Goku rubbed the back of his head nervously while looking at the three pair of angry eyes settled on him. His parents were too busy reuniting behind him to be of any assistance. "Well, what was I supposed to say!?" he began defending himself, taking a step back. "You know for a fact if you didn't believe Bulma was dead, you would have never fused! But it doesn't matter now..." he looked away from the fuming Vegeta, while Bulma began to fawn over him now.

"We still lost our home, and all those poor, innocent people..."

"We're going to be okay, Goku..." Chi-Chi had forgotten about her previous anger and was now rubbing her husband's scratched up arm, trying to make him less tense. She feigned a smile when his eyes met hers finally. "Our family is together, and we've always found a way to fix everything. There has to be a way. I just know it."

Goku smiled sadly at his faithful wife and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. Her words weren't really soothing him, but at least he could do what his mother asked and keep his family happy. "Of course, Chi-Chi. Of course."

Chi-Chi gave him a quick embrace and kiss on the cheek before breaking their contact to look at her son. Kneeling down, she took a ragged breath while moving his one stubborn bang away from his forehead to leave a lipstick stain on the alabaster skin. "My poor Gohan... Is he going to be okay?" she placed a finger by his throat to feel his pulse. "At least he's alive..."

Chi-Chi turned her attention away from her fallen son briefly to look at the Namek beside him. She caressed his cheek for a moment with a sad smile on her face. "You big green punk... You're always by my son's side, aren't you?"

"They're going to be just fine, Chi-Chi," Goku offered her his hand, and the mother gave her son another kiss before accepting it. "We'll just have Dende heal him right up and then figure out what we're going to do about Buu."

"Kakarot!" Vegeta replied before Chi-Chi could get a word in. Bulma had linked her arms with his despite his blushing protest, but he was ignoring the fact his wife was ogling him during a terrible moment. "What the hell do you mean!? Didn't that freak blow himself up along with Earth!?"

"Regeneration..." Kibito Kai quietly reminded him, raising his hands in defense when Vegeta snarled at him. "That's the entire reason why this original form of Buu is the most dangerous of all: he's pure, unrestrained evil. The form of him that you were first introduced to was his most innocent, weakest one after absorbing Daikaioh, or the highest of all Supreme Kais, if you will."

Goku looked over his shoulder to see if his father was listening to any of this, but sweatdropped when he saw he most definitely wasn't. "So after the good Majin Buu was ripped away from him, he lost that innocence?"

"Exactly," Kibito Kai grimaced, sudden memories flashing through his mind of Daikaioh's sacrifice in order to protect him. "This Buu is just evil entirely. He doesn't care about a single soul, and he's reckless beyond belief."

"Nice going, Vegeta," Goku mumbled, earning a middle finger from his rival.

"Oh, what the hell was I supposed to do, Kakarot!? Stay inside that god awful body of his any longer!?"

"DAD!"

The Saiyan fathers glanced away from each other to see their sons running towards them with tears in their eyes. Goten leaped into Goku's arm, while Trunks grabbed onto his father's offered hand and looking into his orbs with silent awe.

"You saved me, Dad!" the child of Vegeta spoke, causing Bulma to begin crying herself. "You really, really saved me! I knew you'd come back! I just knew it!"

Vegeta managed a small smile, one that Bardock caught after breaking his kiss with his wife at last. The two were still holding onto each other, but the male was too surprised by the emotion being shown by the prince at the moment. "Lucifer actually smiles!"

"Yes, son," Vegeta answered, trying his hardest not to punch the scarred Saiyan in the jaw. He placed a hand on his son's head, expecting to ruffle his lavender hair but widening his eyes when he realized there was nothing there. "What the hell happened to you!?"

Trunks immediately turned crimson, forgetting all about his shaved head. "It's...uh.. it's a long story…"

"Wait a second," Goten questioned, gaining the attention of the Brief family while he was holding onto his father's neck. "Is Buu dead!?"

Goku's eyes watched as the teenage girl walked by, giving a quick wave before heading towards Gohan. After she finished crossing his line of vision, the hero sighed and held his son a bit tighter. "No, Goten… I'm more than positive."

"Oh…" Goten frowned, just wanting this nightmare to be over with. "Where is he now, Dad?"

"Oh, Gohan..." Videl was kneeling down beside her boyfriend while the others continued to converse. She placed his head on her lap so she was looking down at his face and rubbing it lovingly. "Please be alright…"

Kibito Kai coughed a bit to get her attention. "Excuse me, Videl. I believe I can be of some assistance." Remembering how Kibito healed Gohan at the tournament, the girl kindly backed away while he placed his two hands above the boy's heart.

"Make sure you do the same for Piccolo," Bardock notioned, and got a nod from the healer. "Having these two back to full health would be exactly what we need. Gohan is stronger than all of us."

The group eagerly watched as Kibito Kai worked his magic on the fallen heroes. Once he gave everything he had, he stood up and frowned. "I guess being inside those cocoons really did a number on them. They are healed entirely… We just need to wait for them to come out of stasis."

"Darn that Buu!" Goku scowled, and then placed Goten on the ground so he wouldn't hurt him accidentally. "He's done enough damage!"

"Hey?" Videl suddenly questioned, realizing someone was missing. "Wasn't my father with you? Where did he go?"

Goku took a look around the planet, and then began laughing nervously. "I guess he must have landed somewhere away from us when we got here! I can sense his ki, though. He's fine. Probably unconscious, but fine."

"Sorry to ruin the moment, but you may want to see this!" Old Kai called from beside the tree, offering his crystal ball out to them to snap the others out of their disappointment. While Videl and Chi-Chi stayed behind to keep an eye on Gohan and Piccolo, the rest of the group hurriedly way their way over to see what was going on inside the orb.

"Oh no!" Goku groaned, seeing their prediction of Buu reforming himself undoubtedly coming true. Inside the orb, the group could see the Majin standing in the dark void where Earth once stood beautifully in the place of its solar system; he was howling madly, and then he disappeared from sight. "He must have learned instant transmission!"

They watched in horror as Buu landed on some strange rock planet, destroying it without a moments hesitation and then moving onto whatever planet was next. "He's killing all those innocent people!" Goku snarled, and Elder Kai raised a white eyebrow.

"I think he's searching for you Saiyans," he mused, watching as Kid Buu instantly killed yet another planet. "Yes. He must be. You're the ones he really wants to kill, but of course he doesn't mind having his own twisted fun first."

Kibito Kai nodded while Bulma covered her eyes as she watched aliens burn to death. "This Buu is a killing machine. He has no remorse at all. He'll wipe out an entire solar system within an hour at this rate."

The group grew helplessly silent, racking their brains until Dende was the first to get an idea. He slapped himself upside his head, feeling like an idiot for forgetting about his people. "I've got it, you guys! We may have lost the Dragon Balls on Earth, but New Namek still has theirs! I'm sure Elder Moori has made a new set by now! I bet we can use them to wish Earth and all her people back!"

Even a smile grew on 18's face as everyone began to feel relief wash over them. "Yes, you're absolutely right!" Vegeta announced loudly, slightly surprising Gine who wasn't use to seeing this version of the prince before but Goku's words quickly brought that normal pissed off look of his back.

"There's a small problem," the messy-haired hero frowned. "The Nameks are too far away. I can barely sense them from where we are! We couldn't possibly get to them unless we had a spaceship or something."

Dende lowered his head, feeling disappointed in himself yet again. "...Which we don't have."

"Ahem."

They all turned their attention to Kibito Kai who was smiling slyly. "I don't really know what Dragon Balls are, but I can use instantaneous movement is not limited by distance I can go anywhere I want! If you guys have a plan, than the least I can do is get you to where you want to go!"

"ALRIGHT!" Dende and Goku high fived each other while Bardock snarled at the coughing Elder Kai, who shuffled his way in between him and his wife to break them apart.

"Not so fast, not so fast!" he waved an angry purple fist in the air, causing Trunks and Goten to exchange annoyed looks with each other while they stood near their fathers' legs. "Using the Dragon Balls in this case just isn't proper! They are part of a very peaceful race! They are not to be used anywhere except for their home planet! Using the Dragon Balls elsewhere can upset the evolutionary process of the universe!"

Goku rubbed his hands together with a sneaky expression on his face as he pulled Elder Kai to the side to whisper in his ear. "Aren't you being a little too strict? Don't you think a kiss from one of these beautiful women would change your mind?"

Elder Kai began chuckling delightfully as the two glanced over their shoulders at the confused group. "Any one of them, you say? Well… That's a hard choice. They're all so beautiful but crazy."

"Any of them except for Chi-Chi," Goku added, sweating a bit when he noticed Gine and Bulma were whispering into their husbands' ears. "She's not available."

"Fine, fine… I still want that short one with the tail!" Elder Kai's cheeks burned just thinking about it. "She's been looking at me ever since she got here!"

Goku laughed, realizing that his plan had worked and nudged the old man forward. Surely, his mother wouldn't mind a smooch now due to the dire circumstances. "Go get her!"

"KAKAROT, YOU FUCKING MORON!" the other two full blood Saiyan males shouted in unison, closing in on the two sneaks before they could make their next moves. "YOU USED MY WIFE AS A BARGAINING CHIP!?"

"Your god damn mother, Kakarot!" Bardock grabbed him by the collar of his gi. "I swear if we didn't need you at a hundred percent, I would finally show you how Saiyan fathers give their sons a time out!"

Vegeta scoffed, already cracking his knuckles in preparation. "I don't care if we need him or not, this clown deserves it!"

Goku tried his hardest to search his mind for any excuse at all that would get him out of this situation, and the lord of the lords must have heard his silent plea! "OH NO!" came the scream of Bulma. "He's in Other World!"

Letting their concern allow Goku to escape their wrath, the grumpy Saiyans brought to their attention back to the crystal ball to see the halo wearing Yamcha and Krillin looking at Buu with frightened eyes. Little Maron began squirming in her mother's arms at the sight of her father, beginning to cry. "Oh no, Daddy is going to get hurt!"

"He's going to blow up Grand Kai's planet!" Kibito Kai yelled, grabbing onto his long white hair out of frustration. "How did he even get there!?"

Goku clenched his fists tightly, seeing his best friend and the former desert bandit that saved his wife's life trembling in fear. "They're already dead; if they die again, they won't exist anymore…" He walked away from the group, placing two fingers on his forehead and closing his eyes. "But I'm not going to let that happen!"

"Kakarot, wait!" Vegeta yelled, causing his rival to reopen his eyes and blink at him. Trunks and Goten looked up at him curiously, never seeing their fathers interact this much before. "Why don't we just get him to come here instead of putting all those innocent people at risk? It is us that he's after."

"...Vegeta…" Bulma looked at her husband in awe, not believing the words that were coming out of his mouth but moved to tears by the change she was seeing in him.

Goku was silent for a moment, blinking his eyes twice as if trying to make sense of Vegeta's words. "But...how do we call him?"

The prince rolled his eyes, but a smirk quickly crossed his face. "Use your damn brain, Kakarot. All we do is raise our power levels and he'll come running."

Goku brightened up immediately, understanding Vegeta's brilliant plan. He raised a thumb in the air to praise him. "Alright! Let's do it!" he slowly lowered his fist when he realized that his loved ones and friends were still standing around. "Uhm… There's a bit of a situation, though."

"Oh, what now Kakarot!?" Vegeta demanded, crossing his arms over his chest. "We don't have much time before that freak kills your friends permanently!"

"Do you think you can get them out of here, Kibito Kai?" Goku pleaded, not wanting the potential of them losing their lives be a distraction. "Please? I don't care where you take them, just get them out of here."

Trunks and Goten shook their heads wildly, each grabbing onto the legs of their dads. "We aren't going anywhere without you!" the mini Goku cried. "I don't want to be away from you anymore!"

"Yeah!" Trunks held his father's leg tighter, and the prince was actually a bit surprised at how it slightly hurt him. "We want to fight Buu with you guys!"

Goku and Vegeta exchanged looks with one another, not sure if it was a good decision or not since their tactics were still a bit immature for their tastes. On the other hand, Gotenks' power was eminent; even more so than Vegeta's full power. Before they could open their mouths to answer the boys, the mothers answered for them.

"Oh, no no no!" Chi-Chi pried Goten off Goku's leg and brought him back over to the group kicking and screaming despite his better judgement. "I am not losing my youngest baby! Your father and grandfather can handle this!"

It took Bulma a bit more of a struggle to get Trunks away, but once the child looked into the deathly sapphire flames that were his mother's eyes, he immediately released his grip and mumbled all the way back to where the others were waiting.

"Why does Gohan get to stay, Mom?" Goten whined, pointing a finger at the sleeping body in the distance. "He isn't even awake!"

"They need him, sweetie. And I need you. That's all you have to know." Chi-Chi's response caused the boy to pout even more, but he kept silent. It was true that his brother was powerful, he was his idol for crying out loud! Still, it would be so cool to fight side by side with him again….

Bardock pulled Gine into an embrace one last time before he signaled her to go with them. When she wasn't budging, he raised his voice with a scowl. "What's wrong!?"

Crossing her dainty arms over her chest and raising her nose in the air, Gine was taking on her 'I'm-not-taking-your-shit' stance; the most powerful stance known to Saiyan-kind. "No. I want to stay with you."

Bardock's eye began to twitch rapidly, remembering the only reason why he didn't miss her company all the time. "You little pain in my ass, if you don't go-"

"I'm. Staying." The two were nose to nose now; Bardock having to lower himself down to her height while the tension between them grew and grew. Vegeta began to grow impatient, knowing they didn't have any time to spare.

"Just admit you're whipped like the rest of us and let her stay!" Vegeta barked, causing Bulma to fume despite the truth being spoken. "Who cares anyway, we're going to kill Buu once and for all!"

"Fine," Bardock spoke through clenched teeth, bringing himself away from his satisfied wife. "Just stay out of my way."

"What a charmer," she winked even though he was livid. She felt a bit more at ease seeing her old Bardock. Leaving her husband alone to begin his power up, Gine squeezed Videl's hand tightly followed by Chi-Chi's. "Don't worry, I'll make sure Gohan wakes up and wins one for us."

They all hugged each other tightly, and during the brief moment that hadn't noticed the two boys had snuck off quietly. After they let go, Gine backed away and stood beside her husband to wave at the group along with her son.

"Take care!" Goku called, and then settled his eyes on Dende. "We'll all make that trip to Namek when the time is right, okay!"

"Okay!" Dende nodded, placing his hand on Kibito Kai's shoulder. "Good bye, you guys! We'll be watching!"

"I LOVE YOU, VEGETA!" Bulma called, nearly distracting the Saiyan that was trying his hardest to concentrate on his energy instead of the woman in a tight red dress.

"I love you, Goku, Bardock, and Gine!"

"I love you, Chi-Chi!" answered Goku and Gine, but the scarred faced Saiyan remained silent and grouchy. While their bodies began disappearing, the housewife's eyes suddenly bulged out of their sockets when she realized something was wrong. "Where are-"

Before they could hear what she said, Kibito Kai had transported everyone but the four full blood Saiyans and the resting bodies of Piccolo and Gohan to wherever there was safety.

"Alright, everyone!" Goku called once all those that finally listened had left their sight. "Let's get Buu's attention!"

Gine watched in curiosity as her husband began raising his power level, her orbs widening as his hair turned golden. "Ya know," she blinked. "You look good as a blonde."

"You're still a giant pain in my ass," he snarled through his power up. "I can't believe you didn't go with them, now I'm going to have take care of you the whole damn time."

Bardock's mate placed her hands behind her back in a polite manner and couldn't help the smile from forming on her face. "Just like the old days, huh?" When all he did was smirk in return, she looked at her son and the prince in confusion as to why bolts of electricity were forming around their bodies unlike her husband.

"KEEP IT GOING!" Goku yelled, clenching his fists tighter as...

"There you are," Goku whispered when Kid Buu appeared in the sky at last. He glanced over his shoulder at his father who was flashing him a thumbs up, standing protectively in front of Gohan and Piccolo with Vegeta by his side. At least his wife had listened to him for once and was now hiding where Hercule and his puppy had landed after Earth exploded until he gave them the go to come out.

"I'm going first, alright guys?"

"I don't think so!" Vegeta barked suddenly, causing Goku to frown. "You know how we settle things! Come here, clown!"

The messy haired Saiyan looked up to see Buu was already descending, not taking long to land on the grass to begin laughing at them for letting their location be found. "Fine, Vegeta!" he reluctantly turned his back on the laughing Majin to hold his palm flat out with a raised fist above it. "But make this snappy!"

"Rock, paper, scissors! Rock, paper, scissors! ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS!"

Watching the two from behind the rock, Gine exchanged uneasy looks with Bee. "This isn't going to end well, is it?"

Finally coming to his senses, Hercule popped his head out, placing his chin on top of Gine's to get a good glimpse of the new Buu. He felt his heart breaking in half, not able to recognize what used to be his friend when looking at the terrifying red eyes of pure evil. "Buu… You've changed so much…"

Just beyond the rock where the four were hiding, two certain little boys were doing a bit hiding themselves in a bush like the clever gents they were. "They never even noticed when we left!" Goten snickered, high fiving his friend for the brilliance.

"Keep your power hidden and they'll never know!" Trunks replied, lowering his voice and ki at the same time. "We'll come out as Gotenks at the right time and save them all like usual."

Goten nodded sweetly, and then took on a serious expression while growing completely silent so they could listen in on the important conversation between their fathers.

"YES! PAPER!"

Vegeta glared at his hand that was still in a fist while his rival's was flat out. "Damn you, Kakarot.." he muttered, and then turned his back on the Saiyan to return to his spot near Bardock.

"There's a good chance I'll get my turn, anyway."

"Yeah, whatever, Vegeta!" Goku laughed, beginning to stretch. Once Vegeta had returned to the group, he stood up straight and sighed. He closed his eyes for a second, imagining what the fight would look like and what his best maneuvers would be. Without having someone else beside him at the moment, Goku began speaking to himself to calm his nerves.

"I could have defeated the fat Buu when I was at Super Saiyan 3… But I wanted the boys to try their hand at saving the world. I won't be around forever-"

A sudden image of Vegeta popped into his mind, causing him to stick his tongue out. "Neither will he, hopefully! Alright, Goku.. It's time." Reopening his icy green eyes, Goku settled them on Kid Buu who was a mere two meters away. "...Huh? What's he doing?"

Kid Buu had his eyes closed tightly; his head dropped so he was facing the short, green grass of the Kai world. When Goku caught sight of the drool dripping down his pink chin, he snarled.

"That bum is asleep! How dare he! I guess I just have to wake him up the good ol' fashioned Saiyan way…"

"HYAAAAAAAH!" The increase to Super Saiyan 2 caused chunks of the ground to fly up and begin smacking Kid Buu's face. Becoming annoyed by the sensation on his skin and the sound in his ear holes, the Majin finally opened his eyes. Once Goku's shouts ended, he decided to return the favor.

Pounding his chest like a gorilla, Kid Buu opened his mouth widely and threw his head back. "OOOOOOOOOOAHAHAHAHAHAH!" Just his scream was causing tremors in the planet and an increased amount of sweat on Goku's forehead.

The battle cries had begun, signaling the start of the battle for the universe.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Once Buu's shouts had ceased, bolts of electricity danced down Goku's body as he charged towards the pink menace. His knee planted directly into Buu's face, causing his neck to bend back a little from the pressure. The hero raised a blonde brow when he saw Buu continue to pound his chest as if nothing happened. Snarling, he appeared behind the Majin and kicked him hard in the neck.

As Kid Buu flew backwards, he was still pounding on his chest until he crashed through a small mountain. After sliding backwards on his feet, the Majin came to stop and fired a red sphere at the hero who managed to dodge it quickly. Just a simple ki blast from Buu could damage a large amount of the planet; proving the fact when it obliterated a series of once gorgeous mountains behind them.

After the dodge, Goku appeared above Kid Buu and swung his leg around. After hitting the Majin hard in his head to momentarily dazzle him, the hero appeared in front of him and blasted him to bits with a large yellow sphere that went along with a loud yell. As expected, the pieces put themselves back together again to show the evilest form of Buu laughing madly.

"Darn him," Goku breathed. "There has to be a way."

Realizing that this man was starting to become no fun, Buu raised his arm in the air and began forming the devastation bomb that was used to annihilate Earth. Once the ball was large enough, he threw it towards the scowling Goku.

"Sorry, Buu, you won't be destroying any more planets!" The hero struck his hands out in front of him to catch the sphere, screaming at the top of his lungs as he twirled around in the air to send it upright towards space. He felt relieved for a moment until the bright red orb came crashing back down on him unexpectedly. Nearly dodging it, he immediately found his mother's low ki and did an instant transmission to protect her and Mr. Satan with his body.

"G-G-Goku," Hercule trembled underneath him. "What the hell kind of dream is this!?"

"A very, very bad one," Goku replied and hovered his body over them more so when the rocks began to tumble down. "Just keep your eyes closed, alright, Mr. Satan?"

Without taking the time to hear the human's response, the Saiyan hero located Buu once the planet stopped trembling. He clenched his fists tightly, realizing how much the Majin had made a beautiful world so ugly. Standing on the newly formed cliffs across from each other, Goku couldn't help but be reminded of his first fight with Vegeta. "There is no other option. I have to ascend to the next level."

Buu's lips twisted up into a sinister grin as excited and electrifying lightening bolts filled the darkening sky. It was the formation of the strange messy haired man that the Majin had been waiting for; the strongest formation that Goku had. He watched with delight in his red orbs as the Saiyan's hair grew downwards at three times its length; his eyebrows vanished and almost resembling some sort of weird monkey creature.

The two clashed with each other after jumping off their cliffs at the same time. Goku was having the upper hand at the moment, ferociously punching Buu's jaw and stomach repeatedly by holding onto his antenna. The smirk on the Saiyan's face quickly vanished when the Majin wrapped said antenna around his neck and began bumping their heads together with all the strength he had.

Spinning around in a full circle, Kid Buu gave Goku a strong blow to the stomach and released his grip from his neck as the hero flew backwards. Once free, Goku cupped his hands by his side and grimaced. "I didn't want to do to this, but I have no other choice... Kaaaaaameeeeeee," his loud voice was booming; just the sound of it causing the world of the Kais to tremble. "Haaaaaameeeee... HAAAAAAAAA!"

Buu's red orbs widened in surprise as he was consumed by the powerful ki blast of a Super Saiyan 3, brought to his knowledge by the one and only turtle hermit. For a moment, it was believed that the Majin had met his demised. But Goku felt his heart sink to his stomach when the bits of pink began to quiver. It only took two seconds for Buu to reform himself.

"You've got to be kidding," he panted. "This is...outrageous. Gohan, wake up soon, son! We need you!"

Without a moment's hesitation, the upset Buu already had his red energy ball growing back in his hands. Instead of creating a big one like before, he fired a much smaller version at his nemesis; not quite wanting to kill him just yet because he still wanted to have fun. With a loud, exhausted grunt, Goku managed to push the sphere away from him towards the mountain.

"KAKAROT!" came the scream of his mother, and Goku looked down to see that Buu's devastation sphere had bounced back and was heading towards the area where his mother and Mr. Satan were suppose to be safe.

Already on the move, Bardock had managed to lift his wife up by the strap of her armor and Hercule by the collar of his robe. The little Bee in the human's arms was barking wildly, showing gratefulness that the dark hero had shown up in time. He tossed Mr. Satan on the ground but held Gine like an injured animals; old memories coming back to both of them.

"I told ya you'd be saving me again," Gine winked and pinched his cheek while the male looked away to hide his embarrassment.

"...Just shut up..."

"Incredible, isn't it?"

Vegeta's sudden comment caused Bardock to raise an eyebrow as he placed Gine on the ground out of his arms. "What is?"

The prince's eyes, despite the bloody cuts that were surrounding them, watching as the long-haired Super Saiyan 3 and Kid Buu were going head to head; fist to fist and bite to bite. His orbs became hard; almost glistening as he thought about the events leading up to now. "...Kakarot. He's always been ready to meet the next challenge, even when he stands no chance. Tell me," he brought his attention away from his former rival to look at the father. "During your time on Vegeta, had you ever heard or seen the Ginyu Force?"

The scarred warrior shuddered. "Please... Don't remind me."

"Then you must also remember a time when we stood no chance against them," Vegeta shook his head, still not believing how far they all had come. "Kakarot made them look like absolute weaklings when Recoome nearly slaughtered me. His power had increased so dramatically that I thought he had become a Super Saiyan... As much as it makes me want to punch your face in, it all makes sense now that the son of the legendary Super Saiyan would undoubtedly reach that level."

Bardock smirked, but kept his words at a minimum so Vegeta could keep praising his son. "But you achieved it yourself, prince. Nobody can take that away from you."

"Yes," Vegeta grimaced slightly. "I did ascend, but Kakarot's power still exceeded mine. It does now. Perhaps, always will. I thought that his loved ones were the reason he became so strong, that his instinct to protect drove him to the point of madness."

Bardock and Gine exchanged looks for a moment, but the male ended up furrowing his eyebrows when Gine smiled strangely at him. It was still unknown to the time traveler, but his wife knew that because of their son's family, Bardock was a changed man. "Did your family not do the same for you, prince? Gine sweetly questioned, tilting her head to the side.

For a moment, Vegeta saw Goku in her place. "I do have the same feelings for them that Kakarot has for his own, but it still wasn't enough. My power didn't increase at all..." he trailed off for a moment, losing himself in a memory with Bulma and Trunks before shaking it away. "Tell me, Bardock, do you remember fighting for the sheer pleasure of it and the thrill of the hunt? I do... I spared no one. Not even the innocent."

A thought that would once bring a certain hunger to the scarred Saiyan no longer satisfied him. He absentmindedly glanced at his navy blue wristband that Goten had given him. "I remember alright."

"That's what separates Kakarot from you and me," Vegeta continued. "He showed mercy to everyone, even Frieza... He did it to test his limits, and push himself beyond them. How could a Saiyan fight like that, and at the same time still be as gentle as a fly?"

Gine batted her eyelashes at the prince, causing a smirk to grow across his face before he finished. "It just makes me angry thinking about it... but, perhaps it's been my anger that has blinded me from the truth for so long." Vegeta took a deep breath, relishing in the moment that would set his heart free after so many years. "Kakarot is better than me. He is the best."

Bardock mouthed 'wow' to his wife before reluctantly placing a hand on the prince's shoulder. "You know, Vegeta, now that we are getting a bit personal... You far surpass me. Surprisingly, I'm okay with that."

"Uhm... Sorry to ruin the love, but the best of us is getting swung around!" Gine frighteningly called, bringing the attention of Bardock and Vegeta back to the sky where Buu had Goku by his boot. The Majin was laughing wickedly, carelessly spinning around and ready to release once he gained momentum.

After Kid Buu was satisfied, he released the Super Saiyan 3 and sent him pummeling towards the ground harshly. Chunks of the planet rested on top of his body as he got up on shaky knees to wipe himself off. Trying to get his third ascension to become a bit higher, Goku began powering up only to collapse back on the ground in his base form.

Upon seeing the jet black, messy-hair, Vegeta and Bardock wasted no time.

"Bye, bye!" Kid Buu taunted, prepared to send the Saiyan to his grave with his energy blast. Before he could release it, Vegeta kicked his wrist and sent it backwards. The prince's little action caused the Majin to pout like a petulant child.

"Give it all that you got," Vegeta breathed, clenching his fists tightly. "We still won't be going anywhere."

"DUMB DUMB!" Kid Buu howled, stretching out his leg to kick the prince harshly in the stomach. Vegeta's back collided into a mountain; pinning himself against the rock and unable to move. The Majin lowered himself down so he was able to look into the eyes of the now slightly terrified prince and grinned widely, pleased with himself. He raised a hand in the air to charge his deadly red sphere, his most favorite attack, and was about to obliterate the pesky man until an even bigger pest head-butted his chin to send him flying backwards.

"Bardock..." Vegeta winced, looking at the green and black armored back of the low class soldier. "Why the hell...did you do that?"

The scarred Saiyan simply shrugged, not knowing what to say. His son soon found his way up to them, helping Vegeta out of the self made crater. "Kakarot, what the hell are we going to do? You're the strongest one here and he's making you look bad."

"I know," Goku grimaced, looking over his shoulder briefly to see his mother holding onto the unconscious teenager. "But once Gohan wakes up, Buu stands no chance... Darn it! I just need a minute! Just a single minute to charge my power and I'll be able to hold my own against him for a bit longer!"

Although Vegeta's eye twitched, knowing one minute in this fight was an eternity, the prince of all Saiyans could never give up a challenge. "... I got you covered, Kakarot."

"Hm?" Goku blinked, exchanging his looks with his father before settling his eyes back on the prince. "What do you mean?"

"Your minute," he snarled. "I got you covered. Just go."

The former rival of the widow-peaked Saiyan looked at the halo dancing above his flamed hair and frowned. "Vegeta... If you die again, you won't exist anymore. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Buu was wiggling his butt and dancing in the sky above, seemingly having the time of his life and waiting for the Saiyans to try again. "Buu yeah, Buu yeah, Buu yeah!"

"Buu hell no," Vegeta growled and then smirked at Goku and Bardock. "You just go and power up, Kakarot. You just better use that minute wisely and stay out of my way until then."

The father and son duo took one last look at the proud prince before deciding there was no convincing the stubborn man otherwise. Landing beside the bodies of Piccolo and Gohan, Gine, and the confused Mr. Satan, Bardock and Goku watched with slight confidence as Vegeta began rapidly sending ki blasts at the Majin.

"Alright, alright... Maybe he has this," Bardock nodded with fake reassurance in his voice. "Maybe-"

The prince was panting heavily; losing half of his energy already after using his strongest blasts and not being able to do them continuously anymore. "Take this...freak..." Vegeta fired another blast, but Buu only howled while his stomach opened in a wide 'o' to have the attack literally go right through him. Momentarily shocked by the act, the prince hadn't noticed the Majin used his instant transmission to appear right above him to drop his fists down heavily on the widow-peaked head.

"Hang in there, prince!" Bardock frowned, tapping his fingers against his biceps in anticipation. Buu had his complete body wrapped around the Saiyan's neck and was choking the life out of him, yet Vegeta refused to go down. He was still fighting against the death grip of the Majin. "Shit... I have to do something.."

"Bardock!"

The grandfather glanced over his shoulder to see Gine with tears in her eyes and Gohan's head on her lap. The teenager's eyes were beginning to flutter open; his fingers and nose twitching while he was gaining his senses back. Beside him, the Namek was beginning to do the same thing. "He's back! Gohan's back!"

xxxxxxxxxx

After embracing Gine for a moment, Gohan brushed himself off and looked at his grandfather with weary eyes. His former Namekian trainer was now on his feet beside him, watching with a stressed frown as Vegeta was struggling against Kid Buu. "Gramps," the teen rubbed the back of his head. "I might need a moment to get back to a hundred percent."

Bardock nodded, giving both of the fighters a pat on the shoulder. "Sorry you have to wake up to such a shitty mess, but we could really use you guys right now. Vegeta is getting his ass kicked, and Kakarot needs to get back to full power."

Gohan looked over at his father who was flashing him a thumbs up with a weary smile. "Don't look at me like that, son. Everything is alright, now that you're awake."

"The boys?" Piccolo questioned Bardock. "Don't tell me they..."

"They survived," Gine assured him, cutting off her husband sticking her hand out to the confused Namek. "Hi, there! I believe you're the only one I haven't met yet. My name is Gine, and yours?"

Piccolo observed the way Bardock was shaking his head in embarrassment, realizing that he was wearing the look all the Saiyans get when their wives were around. A smirk crept across his green face as excepted Gine's handshake. "Piccolo. So, you're Goku's mother? Well," he chuckled darkly seeing the resemblance in their wide, naive eyes. "There's no denying it."

Hercule nervously tapped the Namek's shoulder, coming out of his hiding place behind Bardock. "Uh, nice to see you buddy."

"Mr. Satan!?" Gohan laughed while shaking his head. "I don't believe it! Did you have a chance to see Videl?"

The afro-haired man looked at his potential son in law and scowled. "No! My poor daughter wouldn't be in this nightmare of mine! Especially not with you around."

Piccolo blinked. "...Nightmare?"

"Let him believe what he wants," Bardock muttered. "How he's still alive is beyond me."

After Mr. Satan had turned his nose up at him, Gohan looked out into the grassy field where Vegeta was being choked alive by Buu. "Oh no... This isn't good! And he absolutely refuses to have any help?"

"It's Vegeta," Piccolo scoffed. "What do you think?"

"True," Gohan frowned. "Still... Hopefully he can find the strength somewhere inside to hold on just a bit longer until both my father and I have charged-"

"HEY, PRINCE!" Gine shouted, causing Bardock and Gohan to nearly fall over. "REMEMBER HOW KAKAROT USED YOUR WIFE AS A BARGAINING CHIP!?"

"MOM!" Goku pleaded, starting to become unfocused and now slightly frightened at what his mother was trying to do to. "If you want Vegeta's anger to power him up, I'm sure there's another-"

Ignoring her son, Gine began jumping up and down when the flamed haired Saiyan manage to sneak a glare while being choked. "YEAH! THAT'S RIGHT! HE TOLD THE OLD KAI HE COULD KISS YOUR WIFE IN EXCHANGE FOR UNLOCKING GOHAN'S POTENTIAL! AND RIGHT NOW, THEY ARE ALONE TOGETHER! LET THAT SINK IN!"

"Pain in my ass!" Bardock warned, prepared to chew out his wife when he began feeling a sudden ki raising rapidly in the distance. He raised an eyebrow, seeing that although Vegeta's veins were pulsating out of his forehead, the Saiyan was still struggling. The power wasn't coming from the prince. It was coming from a certain, newly fused child already turning into his Super Saiyan 3 formation. "Gotenks..."

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY DAD!" the voice of Trunks was most prevalent, causing the group watch with quiet awe as the boy began to charge to one of his father's rescue. Bardock shook his head in disbelief, slowly turning his attention away from Gotenks' raised fist to look at his son.

"Did you sense that they were here?"

"No," Goku laughed, shaking his head with a trademark grin. "Those boys... I'm telling you, they're going to be something else. They completely hid their power levels." The messy haired Saiyan glanced at his oldest son who became unfocused from his powering up as well. "Gohan, what do you say? Do you think you're going to need to help with this one?"

A proud smirk crossed the brother's face as he watched Kid Buu unravel himself from the red faced Vegeta's neck after being knuckle punched in the jaw by the fusion of Goten and Trunks. "What do you think, Gramps? Should I go in for the finish or let the boys handle it?"

"Why not both?" Bardock suggested, crossing his arms over his chest while his grandson blinked in return. "Once you feel your power is sufficient enough, go in there. It's time to show this little pink bitch he can't get away with taking our home away from us."

Gine winked and elbowed her husband in the shoulder. "Our home?" She laughed loudly when he gave her a warning glare, and then a smile continue to grow on her face as her old prince came limping back to the group. "Nobody ever has, right?"

"What?" Vegeta managed to breath out, allowing his messy-haired rival to keep him on his feet when he began to sway. "What are you going on about, woman?"

Ignoring the blood that was trickling down his lip and dripping from his chin, Gine placed a gentle and dainty hand on his Herculean shoulder. "Bardock just said Buu won't get away with taking our home away from us. And I recall a certain tyrant had finally met his match..." When she winked, Goku stepped in and beamed proudly while Vegeta's eye continued to twitch from pain and the emotions being shown to him out of nowhere.

"It's going to be by your son again, Vegeta." Goku pointed to the fused boy who had rescued the prince from his own demise, noticing the widow peaked Saiyan's pained features turn into utter shock. He thought that his savior was the messy-haired clown himself! "It's alright, my friend. You can relax now. My body has lost all its power, but we still have our original hope."

"Our sons," Vegeta muttered, turning his attention away from Goku to look at Gohan. Through the way he was shaking the entire sacred World of the Kais with his ultimate power up, being far superior to anything the prince had ever witnessed his entire life time, the teenager was already gaining the attention of Kid Buu. The Majin had his hands full with the determined newcomer, assuring the prince that their legacies were going to live on. "It's our sons, Kakarot. Not just... mine. Hey, Gohan?"

The teenager blinked after feeling his rejuvenated power running through his veins like a current, not really sure what his prodigal uncle wanted and was expecting either an insult or a backhanded compliment as usual. "Y-Yeah, Vegeta?"

"Perhaps I was... mistaken about what I said when you and your low class grandfather came to visit months ago," the prince didn't dare look at either Bardock or Gohan's faces. Instead, his attention was on the fight in the sky. "Neither of you are trash. Go on, kid."

"No 'spawn'?"

"GO!"

"Alright, alright!" Gohan laughed, but took a moment to stand in front of his loved ones proudly. He looked at his grandfather who had his grandmother back in his arms, and then at his father who looked weary but proud. Vegeta was impatient as usual, but there was something about that was different. "There is one thing I would like to do first, though..."

"Hm?" Goku blinked, watching his son raise his wrist in the air to reveal his the device. "What is it, son?"

"No..." Piccolo slapped his forehead. "Not this again..."

"Oh dear God no..." Bardock's eye began to twitch along with Vegeta; the only one cheering was Gine. Once Gohan pressed the button, his wondrous costume made by Bulma made its debut on the World of the Kais. Somehow, the turban was in place of the helmet but the original outfit that his grandfather had first encountered him in was there, green tunic and all. "Please don't-"

It was too late. Gohan was already dancing; Gine continuing to cheer him on like he wasn't a loser. "I am guardian of the Kai world! I'm the one and only-" he began to tap his feet rapidly before striking his final pose. "The Great Saiyaman! WOOHOO! I'm coming for Buu!" With that, the superhero took off to where his brother and the original Majin were officially beginning their battle.

"Do you see what I had to put up with this entire time?" Bardock whispered to Gine, but sweatdropped when he saw that her eyes were delighted at the sight of her grandson's little routine. "...Gine?"

Her hands were clasped together while she jumped up and down in excitement. "That was amazing! We have the coolest grandsons in the entire universe!"

"Uh..." Goku chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck while turning his attention away from his mom to look at his annoyed father and Vegeta. "Well, besides that, I think the boys have this one in the bag. Kibito Kai said this Buu was dangerous, but definitely not the strongest. It's going to be-"

"Not so fast," Vegeta interjected, raising a hand. "It's true they've got more than enough strength to beat Buu down, but there's no way in hell they can summon a blast strong enough to completely obliterate the body. Don't tell it's not true, you've seen that bastard regenerate with just a single, minuscule piece of him left."

The group began to groan, growing tired of Buu every second he was still alive. "Can't Gohan summon up a blast strong enough?" Gine questioned with a series of blinks. "Your senses are a lot better than mine, so can't you feel just how powerful he is?"

"No," Vegeta shook his head. "He's suppose to be the one distracting the freak and rendering him unconscious. Besides, if he did somehow find the time to form an attack like that, do you really think he's going to destroy every single piece?"

"Hm?" Goku frowned. "What do you mean? I don't understand what the problem is."

"I do," Bardock nodded, finally seeing the situation through the prince's eyes. The four pairs of eyes studied him, waiting to see what he had to say. "Every time one of us got absorbed, it was because that bastard left a piece of his body somewhere. Do you really want to deal with this psychotic version of Buu after he's absorbed Gohan? Even Gotenks?"

"We're all screwed if that happens," Piccolo growled, looking up at the sky just to make sure the boys and Gohan were holding off nicely against Kid Buu still. "How do you propose we do it?"

Vegeta was looking down at his boots with furrowed brows, listening to the sound of his fused son screaming in rage. "Dende, Kibito Kai, Old Kai! Are you there!?" His sudden outburst caused the group around him to raise their eyebrows in suspicion of the prince's plans.

"...Yes, Vegeta. We are here. What is it?" Kibito Kai's voice responded quickly.

"Go to Namek now for the Dragon Balls. I have a plan."


	27. The Need to Protect

"No way! We aren't going anywhere with you guys unless it's back to the Kai planet!" Chi-Chi huffed, crossing her arms over her chest while Bulma was striking the same threatening mother pose behind her. "Our little boys are stuck there with that... no good thug!"

"Are you talking about Majin Buu, or Bardock?" Videl joked, and then raised her hands in front of her face when Chi-Chi gave her a look. "Look, I know how you feel, but those boys are strong. I think Goku's better off with them than without."

Bulma and Chi-Chi bit their bottom lips, stuck between not wanting their babies to die and knowing their husbands needed them. "Fine," the houswife forfeited. "Let's just leave this ugly planet. I think the long grass has an ant infestation."

Kibito Kai quickly transported them to the serene and peaceful planet known as Namek; where a large population of the species were gathered together as if they were already expecting the Earthlings and their guardian. Dende broke free from the group, holding his arms out and closing his eyes for a moment to take in the beautiful warm breeze that caused the short grass to dance. He looked around; seeing everything was exactly how he remembered it.

"Dende!" the head Namek called out with a mighty laughter to follow it.

"Moori!" Dende exclaimed, giving the elder Namek a quick embrace before getting serious again. "I'm sorry to just barge in, but we really really need to use the Dragon Balls and summon Porunga. You see, Earth is in terrible danger and-"

The old Namek scowled, turning his back on the suddenly confused Dende. "You know our rules when it comes to using the Dragon Balls. I'm surprised you would make such a request..."

The women and little Marron standing behind Dende and the Kais lowered their heads. "B-But Elder..." the guardian of Earth sweatdropped, raising a finger to prove some kind of point but not finding any words to say. "Oh..."

"I'm disappointed in you Dende..."

"Sir-"

"That you would give up so easily!" Moori cheered first, followed by the other Namekians standing behind him as seven of them raised the large Dragon Balls high in the air. "I was just testing you, my son. Of course you can use them."

Dende turned around to give the now joyous women a thumbs up, and immediately turned his attention back to his old peaceful leader of his village. The Nameks began placing the Dragon Balls in front of his feet while the teenager bowed respectfully in return. Clearing his throat, he stared at the orange spheres while he spoke. "Vegeta, we have all seven Dragon Balls. What are your three wishes?"

"My first wish is to bring back the Earth," the prince's snarling voice came in, causing Bulma to tear up. "And my second wish is to bring back all the people who died since the morning of the World Martial Arts Tournament. The good ones, not the bad. Understand!?"

"..Yes, Vegeta. Would you like me to make the wishes right now?"

"YES, RIGHT NOW!"

"Okay, okay..." Dende chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. He raised his arms in front of the spheres to speak the password for the dragon, but his eyes suddenly bulged out as his mouth dropped in horror. "OH NO! I forgot! Porunga can only bring back one life at a time!"

"WHAT!?"

Chi-Chi kicked a rock in frustration; the gray stone accidentally hitting Moori in the head as he laughed it off along with the others. "Chill out, Dende! Ever since we got our planet back after the Frieza incident, we improved what our dragon can do. It will work. Go ahead and see for yourself."

"Never mind, Vegeta!" Dende laughed. "It can happen! Just give me one second!"

The group watched in amazement as the guardian summoned the muscular green Porunga; the dragon that towered in the sky above them and whose voice caused the mountains to rumble.

"What is your first wish?"

Dende looked over his shoulder to see the Earthlings giving him a smile of encouragement. Taking a deep breath, the guardian asked the two wishes that Vegeta had wanted, trusting in whatever plan he had for Buu. Luckily, the two wishes came true as Elder Kai's halo disappeared and they saw Earth and her people reform once again on the crystal ball. As for the third wish, Vegeta had asked for him to save it.

Even though Porunga groaned, he agreed to remain until the third wish would be made. In the mean time, the huge group of Earthlings, Nameks, and Kais all gathered together to look in the crystal orb as Gotenks and Gohan distracted and beat Kid Buu while Goku began forming a spirit bomb. Seeing that they were doing fine, Chi-Chi requested to have a peek at the lookout just to make sure their other loved ones were brought back.

18 actually had a smile on her face while Marron squealed with delight seeing Krillin scratching his head and looking around. "Mama, look! It's Daddy!"

"I know little one," the cyborg replied quietly, holding her tightly against her chest. "I know."

Chi-Chi finally let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding in when Ox, Yamcha, and the others came into view. "Yes... I'm so happy everyone is back. Can we get back to watching the fight, now? I need to make sure my boys are holding up okay..."

"Please!" Bulma added in, holding her hands together anxiously until the image on the crystal ball finally changed to Goku charging the Spirit Bomb still while Goten and Gohan were holding down Buu for him. The blue-haired woman's eyes narrowed in on her husband, suddenly cheering loudly and holding onto Videl for support. "VEGETA IS ALIVE! LOOK! HIS HALO IS GONE!"

"Wow!" Chi-Chi shook her head, but a sly smile remained on her face. "I guess he's not so bad after all, is he?"

"You got that right!

The group on Namek continued to cheer on the others on the Kai planet, growing increasingly louder when Gotenks managed to knock out Kid Buu. The spirit bomb was completely ready after Vegeta's and Bardock's failed attempts and Mr. Satan's success to coerce the people of Earth to give their energy.

"I can't believe it," Videl snorted and then put on a proud smirk. "My dad actually did something for once-"

Kibito Kai had to interrupt her; his purple finger trembling while pointing at the crystal orb. "This... This can't be! Look! Buu is fighting back!"

"How did he get up!?" Dende exasperated, rubbing his temple and mumbling. "This is so awful... Goku is running out of energy!"

"DENDE!"

The guardian jumped slightly, not expected to hear Vegeta's voice. The orb focused in on the image of his screaming at the sky. "Y-Yes, Vegeta, what is it?"

"IS THE DRAGON STILL THERE!? I KNOW WHAT OUR FINAL WISH IS!"

The murmuring of the Nameks around the crystal ball about the Saiyan who killed one of their villages long ago began to block out the sound of Vegeta's voice to the point only Dende and the Kais could hear. Chi-Chi was desperately trying to inch her way closer to the Earth's guardian to understand, especially when she heard her husband begin to shout wildly.

"..Are you sure that's what you want to wish for, Goku?" Dende questioned, not feeling confident at all.

"YES!"

"What did he just ask?" Chi-Chi questioned, tilting her head. "I couldn't hear him!" The woman huffed when Dende didn't answer her; he only spoke Goku's mysterious wish to Porunga in his Namekian language.

The young Namek gulped, praying and hoping in his mind that his good friend's final wish would come true for him. He understood why, but just found it odd that Goku would make it at such a time like this. Surely, giving him something like his full power back would have been a bit more reasonable. Nonetheless, Dende closed his eyes tightly and waited for Porunga's response.

"...It shall be done..."

"Yes!" Dende cheered. "Goku, your third wish has come true! Now all of you beat Buu so you know it was worth it!"

XX

Upon seeing his new rivals, Kid Buu began pounding his chest and howling like he did before. Both Gotenks and Gohan raised their eyebrows, unsure of what to make of the childlike Majin.

"...Is he insane?" Gotenks questioned, causing Gohan to chuckle.

"Honestly? Yeah, but I think we can handle this." the Saiyaman clad warrior turned his attention away from the screaming pink fiend to look at the fusion of Goten and Trunks. He offered Gotenks his hand. "I know you know who I am and I know who you are, but I don't think we've officially met."

Gotenks smirked, accepting the handshake firmly before releasing to get serious. "I think you're stronger than me, but let's put our powers together and wipe the floor with this sicko."

Gohan returned the smirk, finally seeing Bardock's influence inside of the fused boy. "You got it. How should we go about it?"

Super Saiyan 3 Gotenks opened his mouth widely, but words didn't come out. Instead, his trademark Revenge Cannon escaped as a massive energy blast that hit Buu, who screamed endlessly at the pain until he reformed himself with a playful smirk. Gotenks returned it, but stepped aside of the teenager. "Go ahead, Gohan. We'll just keep going back and forth until I see the perfect opportunity for one of my deadliest attacks."

"Got it!" Gohan nodded determinedly. While the Majin was laughing loudly, he wasn't prepared for when Gohan punched him up in the air. Gotenks cheered him on while he flew after Buu and knocked him down with a hand chop. Before Buu could hit the ground, Gohan teleported and kicked his falling body back up into the air where Gotenks went after him next.

Flying up, Gotenks attacked the Majin without giving him a second to think. He punched the fiend repeatedly, and like a rag doll, Buu was sent upwards with a blow to the jaw before he was brought down towards Gohan. Once the Majin had finally found himself on the ground again, he looked up to see the cupped hands of an angry Saiyaman.

"KAMEHAMEHAAAAAAAAA!"

The blast was coming from both up in the sky and down at the ground, completely trapping Buu while the voices in the background began cheering wildly. Once the energy wave was over, Gotenks came flying down and landed beside what could be considered his half brother; both panting. They knew the Majin was going to reform himself again, but while watching the pink pieces bring themselves together again they couldn't help but notice he was looking completely desperate.

As if he knew he had met his faith.

Kid Buu began trembling wildly, turning crimson while opening his mouth loudly widely as if trying to throw something up. Gotenks and Gohan exchanged looks with each other, sticking their tongues out.

XX

"You lucky dog," Goku grinned, finally taking his eyes off the boys to look at his rival. "Your halo is gone. Looks like you're one of the good guys, now."

The prince looked at his hands, crinkling his fingers when he could feel blood pulsating through them again. "Well..." he tried his hardest to shake off the smile and the fact he was deemed a good man. "I guess I should tell you my plan, now, seeing that the wishes worked."

"Hm?" Goku blinked. "What is it?"

"The Spirit Bomb," he said as casually as ever. "One big enough to completely obliterate Buu."

The messy-haired hero looked at Piccolo as the two exchanged uneasy looks. "The Spirit Bomb..." he gulped and began to sweat. "You mean the thing that has never worked?"

"It will this time," Vegeta nodded. "It's going to consist of the energy from every living being on Earth. Let them fend for themselves one time. You just raise your hands and wait to collect it all."

Goku reluctantly did so, positioning himself. "Okay... But how are you going to speak to all of those people?"

"I can assist you guys with that!" King Kai chimed in from Other World, patiently holding his little hands behind his back while adjusting his antennae. "Alright. You're good, Vegeta. You may now begin."

The prince cleared his throat while Bardock and Gine deadpanned. "People of the Earth, listen carefully..."

XX

"It's.. It's not working!" Goku cried out, watching as the sphere barely grew. "Try saying something else!"

"That's just bullshit!" Vegeta mumbled under his breath while fuming. "I was perfectly eloquent!"

Bardock cleared his throat while Gine began rubbing her temple. "This can't be good..."

"Listen up, weaklings!" he began shouting while his wife and son sweatdropped. Vegeta was nodding in approval. "If you little dumbasses don't raise your hands in the air right now, I will find you and-"

"Oh," King Kai grimaced, listening to the rest of the scarred Saiyan's threat. "I can't see this ending well..."

"-with my own damn fist!"

XX

"Oh my gosh!" Erasa giggled, waving her hands in the air while her classmates looked at her as if she were insane. "I know that voice! It's Gohan's cute grandfather! Remember?"

"Yeah," Sharpener's pained scowl went along with his bruised eye. "The asshole that beat me up, right? There's no way in hell I'm putting my hands up for him!"

Erasa frowned; her hands still raised high as she glanced around the room to see nobody was joining her. "Come on, ladies! Remember the super hunky foreigner who brought Gohan his lunch!?"

"Ohhhhhhh!" numerous girls shouted, and then began cheering wildly as they raised their hands up high. "You can take our energy any time, handsome!"

Sharpener's eye began twitching as even his professor was right along with them, sulking in his seat. "Great. Just great..."

XX

"It's still not enough!" Goku shouted. "It grew, but it still needs more! Why isn't anyone listening!?"

Gine's eyes narrowed; her husband and Vegeta not seeing anything wrong with their speeches. "Gee, I wonder why..."

While the couple began sticking their noses in each other's faces and arguing, Hercule frowned as he listened to the voices of his fans mock Vegeta and Bardock. He was growing angrier with each insult; each ignorant comment that his hands were clenched so tightly to the point he began to bleed. Piccolo took notice, taking a step back and poking Bardock on his shoulder to get his attention.

"What!?" the Saiyan snapped, but then his eyes followed the direction of the Namek's finger.

"It looks like Mr. Satan has something to say..."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"Alright, champ!" Goku cheered, as the Spirit Bomb began to grow rapidly until it was bigger than any of them could have hoped for. He figured Buu must have noticed it by now, but was getting so easily handled by his sons and Trunks that he couldn't do anything about it. Up in the air, Goku shouted out for his Gotenks and Gohan. "BOYS! IT'S READY WHEN YOU ARE!"

"Wh-What?" Gohan's eye began to twitch slightly as Kid Buu opened his mouth widely right after his father's words. Somehow, in some magical way, Fat Buu was able to fit through and landed unconscious on the grass of the World of the Kais. The conscious Buu began laughing maniacally, pounding his chest and giving the fused boy a headache. "He must have gotten rid of any restraints-"

"There's no more time for this!" Gotenks shouted, wiping the last trickle of blood of his lips. He pushed Gohan out of the way, and the teenager could only blink in silence as his fused brother tackled Kid Buu to the ground and began beating him senselessly. There was no special move; no orb centered attack that stood out. He was simply using a tightly clenched fist, and with each punch Gotenks screamed. All of his shouts said more than a million words ever could, leaving the teenager to feel dumbfounded as to where this was all coming from.

As Gotenks gave it his all, knowing the fusion was going to run out any minute now, images of what the monster has done to his family, friends, and Earth were the driving force behind each ferocious hit. "How does it feel to be held down and hopeless!?" he sneered, drawing his fist back and swinging with his full power. His blow glanced across Buu's jaw, hard and unforgiving. Pretty soon, Gotenks couldn't feel any sign of movement of life, as he had beaten it out of Buu senselessly.

"Th-That was really your deadliest attack, wasn't it?" the teenager chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Gohan, use your ki rings on him to keep him down!" the fused boy had hopped off the body and was snapping his fingers to get the teenager's attention.

The teenager snapped out of his confusion, quickly enclosing the unconscious Buu in his most powerful ki rings he could manage. Gotenks eyed them carefully, making sure they were sturdy and stable enough.

"DAD!" the voices of the boys said in unison while Gotenks started becoming unfused. "It's time!"

XX

"Yes, it's ready!" Goku shouted, feeling like doing a happy dance if he could. The unfused boys and Gohan flashed him a thumbs up over the unconscious and tied down Kid Buu, and then started running away to join the others. "Great job boys... Wow. I'm so proud of you all."

Trunks collapsed into his already worn out father's arms, while Goten fell into Gine's. The adults exchanged looks of relief with each other while holding the weakly laughing boys close. Piccolo offered Gohan his arm for support; the teenager gladly took it and leaned against him. Hercule was still kneeling beside the good Majin Buu, trying to feel a pulse for life.

"Do it, Goku!" the Namek shouted. "There is nobody to worry about anymore! We're all out of the way!"

Bardock's grin was beginning to fade when he noticed Kid Buu was beginning to twitch. Goku was already releasing the largest Spirit Bomb to date and forcing it towards the awakening Majin, causing the scarred father's heart rate to skyrocket. "Kakarot! Watch out! Majin Buu is getting up!"

"Huh?" the messy haired hero blinked, and then narrowed his eyes to see Buu escaping from the seemingly indestructible ki rings. "..What in the.. Oh no... NO!"

Trunks and Goten immediately broke out of the comforting holds they were in to see their infuriated enemy back on his feet and screaming madly; his face a bright crimson while steam escaped his holes. "This can't be happening!" Trunks yelled, stomping his foot on the grass and clenching his small hands tightly into a fist. If it weren't for his father snarling so close to him, he would be on the verge of tears. "How is this happening!?"

"Damn him!" Vegeta growled, taking a look at the now weak fighters standing by his side. The only ones that weren't drained were Bardock and Piccolo, but the prince knew they were of no use. Goku had already released the Spirit Bomb; any interference would kill them. "Look at that sick bastard! He's fighting back!"

"NO!" Gohan shouted, still holding onto Piccolo for support. His nails were beginning to dig into the Namek's skin until purple blood began to trickle out, but Piccolo didn't bother him about it. "Dad, you've got to give it all that you got!"

"He is," Bardock whispered sadly, feeling a strange pain in his chest while watching the sweat form around his son's forehead. "This wasn't... how it was suppose to go. Buu should have dead or close to it while Kakarot finished the job. Do you think Dende could come and heal him?"

"I've got a better suggestion," Vegeta intervened, his veins beginning to pulsate due to his frustration. The prince threw his head back and shouted to the sky. "DENDE, IS THE DRAGON STILL THERE!? I KNOW OUR FINAL WISH!"

"Yes, he's still with us and has been very patient," the teenage Namek's voice responded hastily but kindly. "What is it?"

"Wish for Kakarot to have his full power back, now!"

Despite the pain he was in, Goten clapped his hands excitedly and began jumping up and down. "Yay yay yay! That's the best wish I ever heard! DAD, DID YOU HEAR THAT!?"

"NO, DENDE!" his father shouted back. "DON'T DO IT!"

Vegeta cursed under his breath, wishing he hadn't been freshly deemed a good man so he could knock Goku's lights out. "What are you talking about, Kakarot!? If you don't have your full power, we're all going to die!"

"You listen to me right now, Dende!" he heard Goku scream out, feeling and understanding his struggle against Kid Buu. Bardock looked around him at the exhausted, worn out faces and heaving chests that were close to their last breaths. Why the hell was he fighting against Vegeta's wish to get his full power back? He was the one in control of the damn bomb! "I know the Nameks have improved Porunga! If he can bring back billions of people at once, I know he can bring my mother! Tell him, Dende! I wish my mother was alive!

"Wh...What?" Bardock whispered, speaking to his son but keeping his widening orbs locked on his wife as her halo began to slowly disappear. Gine could feel a new breath of life running through her as well; her eyes brightening suddenly while the blood began to flow through her veins again. She placed a dainty hand on her chest and began crying when she felt her heart beat.

"...Kakarot..." she sniffed, now clutching her chest with both hands tightly and keeling over a bit. "You.. You..."

"He brought you back to life, Grandma." Gohan limped his way over to her, prepared to hug her tightly when she struck out a hand to stop him. There was a slight scowl on her face, but it was hard to tell her true emotion through the mixture of tears and knitted brows.

"He wasted his wish!" her eyes were now fiery as she glared up at her heroic son in the sky, obviously struggling to give the Spirit Bomb the push it needed. Her little hands were clenched tightly by her sides until they began pounding on the still stunned Bardock's chest wildly. "He wasted his wish on me! Now he's going to die, Bardock, our son is going to die!"

When she began sobbing into his chest, Bardock finally snapped out of it. He placed his hands tightly on Gine's back for a moment to comfort her before pulling her away. He looked at the seething prince and cleared his throat. "Vegeta!"

"What!?" he snarled. "What could I possibly do!? I have no energy left!"

Bardock shook his head, seeing all the weary eyes look right back at him. Trunks and Goten were supporting each other in order to stand up, while Gohan stood frozen in his torn Saiyaman outfit. Gine's now lively face was stained with her tears for her son, while the frightened Hercule was beside the wise Piccolo who couldn't think straight anymore. "It's not true. Look at you all; you're standing aren't you? Look at me, kids."

Trunks groaned, trying to keep straight when Goten began to wriggle slightly. "I know that look. What do you want us to do, Bardock?"

The scarred warrior could hear his son in the sky screaming; close to giving up but not having the heart at all to. "Trunks, has Vegeta ever taught you any sort of energy blast you could perform together?"

"Uhm," the child glanced at his father who was still scowling over Goku's defiance. "Dad? Do you still remember the Galick Gun?"

Vegeta's scowl deepened more, not understanding what they were getting at. The rest of the group shared the same expression. "Of course I do, but I fail to see the blasted point! Get on with it, Bardock! What's your grand plan!?"

"It's not that grand to tell the truth," Bardock chuckled softly. "I don't know if it's going to work, but I'm going to need you guys to put whatever last bit of energy you have inside of you to perform the Galick Gun together. Side by side. Father and son. Got it?"

"Bardock..." Trunks frowned, taking a look at his father and then back at his mentor. "What if it kills us?"

"You won't. You can't," Bardock remarked, giving the prince a small smile. "You forget who your father is. That fucker never goes away."

"I'll make sure to kick your ass in Hell," Vegeta snarled, but placed a hand on Trunks' small shoulder. "Come on, son. We really don't have any options left, do we?"

Gohan stifled in some laughter that would have been weak anyway, remembering how hard it was to defeat Vegeta when he first came to Earth. "What about the rest of us, Gramps?"

"I think you know, kid."

Bardock's back was turned to the teenager as he spoke, but flashbacks of his father teaching Gine the Kamehameha when everything seemed to peaceful at the moment. "I understand, Gramps. Are you going to join us?"

"No. I have something else in mind," without looking at his family's questionable faces, Bardock pointed at Piccolo. "Do you have any move you'd like to use?"

Piccolo smirked, already placing his fingers against his forehead to charge. "Yeah, Bardock. I've got one."

Bardock returned the smirk, and then finally glanced down at Goten when he felt him tugging on his pant leg. "What is it, little leech?"

"Grandpa," he frowned. "What are you going to do?"

"Don't worry about it," he ruffled his hair while the child pouted. "I just need to ask you all a favor. Especially Gohan and Vegeta."

The prince and teen raised their eyebrows and spoke in unison. "What is it?"

"You need to stay focused on Majin Buu. Don't look at me."

Vegeta gave the biggest eye roll of his life while getting in place for his attack; his son quickly doing the same. "Oh, nobody wants to look at your ugly mug anyway. Just go do your damn move or whatever. I'm sure it's of no contribution."

"Most likely," Bardock winked and watched as the father-son duo curled their fingers and placed their hands together at chest level. He looked at the sniffling Gine, giving her a quick kiss before he left the area. "Your body is new, so you might have a hard time. But I want you to know that I have complete faith in you... Just know that, alright?"

The wife hurriedly wiped her tears away as Gohan and Goten began positioning themselves on either side of her, cupping their hands together with determination written across their faces. "I can't believe Kakarot did that... I'm alive. I'm really alive. Now, you need to stay alive for me... Whatever you have planned, I have complete faith in you. I love you."

Bardock felt his stomach beginning to churn while getting rid of her last tear with the back of his thumb. The sound of his son screaming in pain was becoming too much to bear; signaling it was time. Without saying another word, he left her behind with her grandsons.

All sadness had left her face as the mother of Goku lined herself up against Gohan and Goten. She placed her hands in their position, and suddenly found Bardock's voice inside of her. "Alright, kiddos. This is it. Give it all that you got."

"Kaaaaame..."

"Galick guuuuun..."

"Haaaamee..."

"FIRE!"

"SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!"

"HAAAAAAA"!

Hercule nearly fell over, watching the different colored and powerful blasts escape the hands of each member of the group. "This is just ridiculous," he mumbled and began fiddling around inside his robe for his weapon of choice. His gun had no bullets; but his throwing hand was still going strong. "HERE, BUU! EAT IT!"

xxxxxxxx

Bardock rolled his eyes when he saw Mr. Satan's gun fly through the air and become incinerated by the three distinct energy blasts. He was at a spot where only Goku could see him, but luckily his son was too focused on trying to get the Spirit Bomb through to notice anything else.

Alright, this better fucking work...

The cursed Saiyan began giving himself a momentary pep talk before forming a power ball in his hand. Throwing it up into the air, he gazed at it until he felt his tail unwinding itself from his waist. After the transformation into Golden Oozaru took place, he continued to stare at the moon instead of destroying it like last time.

What seemed like an old time film began playing; revealing clips of his life that he could remember to the best of his ability while zoning out at the bright synthetic moon. He saw himself as a child, at a time before Frieza took control of Planet Vegeta, learning how to hunt with his father. Gine appeared, sticking her nose in his face while he did push ups. Before long, she was cradling a long haired baby in her arms.

Bardock clenched his golden furred, large fists together.

Raditz... If only I was brought back to an earlier time when you were still alive. If only I took the chance to actually know you... then maybe things could have been different. I'm sorry, son. I couldn't save you from yourself.

Images of his crew that was murdered in cold blood by Dedoria flashed through his mind like a wild lightening storm, causing the golden Oozaru to become angrier and angrier and no longer feeling pain or guilt over his oldest son's death. The curse from the Kannesan warrior was still as predominant as ever when he spoke to his wife for the final time, warning her to send the infant Kakarot that he didn't ever get to know away after his visions of his son living on after Frieza evaporated them all.

How strange, as a jungle beat seemed to play inside his mind, that he ended up coming face to face with his grown son after leaving Planet Plant. An acclaimed legendary Super Saiyan; who soon lost his pride after encountering the Great Saiyaman, the prince, his son, and even two young boys proving age didn't mean a thing when it came to strength.

Unlike Planet Vegeta, his new home was given another chance to thrive thanks to all those who far surpassed him. He wasn't going to let them down; not anymore.

Raising his arms in the air, the great ape Bardock could feel the sensation of the hidden power he refused to show when facing Super Buu. All the images he could remember of himself, from the child with no scar on his face to the man he saw in the mirror at Chi-Chi's house; his new home. It was finally making sense, what Vegeta had told him about the need to protect.

Right now, all he wanted to do was protect. He had to protect.

He felt his ape form beginning to shrink, having to hunch over more so in the process. He could see his arms beginning to grow the same crimson fur that he remembered seeing in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, but just like in the chamber, he closed his eyes and imagined it wasn't there. With every fiber of his being, he could feel fiery sparks of red emerging through him until it brought out a flame-like aura.

Bardock opened his eyes slowly, finally feeling the painful transformation had ended. There was no need to scream; as painful as it was, he felt calm. Accepting. Unsure. He self consciously felt his legs to make sure he was wearing pants after realizing his shirt was missing.

Hearing his son screaming for the fight of his life, Bardock knew that there wasn't any more time to check himself or prepare. He levitated into the sky towards Goku, a peculiar red furred tail swishing behind him.

XX

Goku could feel defeated tears beginning to brim, struggling to not let the energy of every living being on Earth go to waste as he used his last ounce of strength to force the Spirit Bomb onto Buu. The Majin was currently feeling his body beginning to burn up while he fought back; losing random parts of his body in the process but reforming himself quickly, becoming angrier and angrier.

"I...can't..." the hero wheezed, his arms beginning to tremble and become weak. "I've... I've never fought anyone this strong before... I can't give in.. I won't!"

"Of course you won't."

A dark, edgy voice came from behind the messy-haired Saiyan's shoulder. His heart began to race; not understanding the enormous power level and fearing that it was some other inconvenience. Everyone was completely out of energy; it just didn't make any sense. Who could it be? "Look," Goku spoke through gritted teeth, painfully. "I can't turn my attention away right now. Just tell me who you are."

Goku's eyes widened when a hand that had red tufts from the wrists down was placed on his shoulder. The person it belonged to started grunting; and it wasn't until Goku felt suddenly stronger than he understood what the person was doing. "You're.. You're giving me your energy?"

When there was no response, Goku reluctantly turned his attention away just for a single moment to meet the yellow orbs of a stranger. Around his eyelids were a crimson color, and his long black hair struck out in different directions. There was red fur covering every inch of his skin save his pectorals. It wasn't until Goku caught sight of the scar on the stranger's left cheek that he realized this stranger wasn't one at all.

"...Dad? Wh-What.. Happened?"

"Turn around, Kakarot."

Feeling the Spirit Bomb start to force itself towards him even more after losing concentration, Goku whipped around despite his confusion and amazement. Feeling the majority of his energy restored thanks to his strangely transformed father, the messy-haired hero turned into a Super Saiyan. Before he raised his arms in the air, he glanced over to his father who lined himself up against him.

"Well," he smirked. "I don't know what the heck is going on, but would you mind helping me? I could really use your help for this one."

The father-son duo shoved invisible energy towards the enormous blue sphere; an electric aura forming around Goku while a flaming one continued to spark from Bardock. While Kid Buu gripped onto the attack that was meant to kill him, Goku could hear the weakened voices of his loved ones down below shouting for him to finish the job.

"I can't finish it, kid. Get on with it."

Goku had his palm outstretched with his other hand wrapped around his wrist, prepared to kill Buu for good but not before taking one last look at his father. To his surprise, Bardock was no where in sight. The hero blinked a few times, wondering if he had imagined it all.

"KAKAROT! HURRY THE HELL UP!"

The Saiyan chuckled nervously hearing Vegeta's cry, and gave Kid Buu a wink before giving everything he had, his new found strength, to obliterate him. "Maybe you could come back some day as a better person. We could have a little one on one! I would like that. A lot. Well, goodbye Buu."

All the Majin could hear was the last of his most fearsome enemies screaming louder than he ever could. He couldn't find it anymore; and found himself being burned alive until he felt nothing anymore. Until he was nothing anymore.

Not a single pink trace could be found.

A giant crater was left on the Kai's planet where the bomb had hit, but luckily it wasn't damaged beyond that. The messy-haired hero came levitated down with an exhausted smile on his face while the others uncovered their eyes they were protecting from the powerfully bright light of the Spirit Bomb. Gine and her grandsons were huddled together, breathing heavily but trying their best to cheer for Goku as he landed on the grass.

Vegeta and Trunks were kneeling side by side, and the prince gave the smallest but most genuine smile he had to his old rival when he looked up to see Goku standing before him. "It's over," he spoke quietly, trying to chuckle even though it hurt. "It's finally over."

"Working as a team isn't that bad after all, is it?" Goku grinned, and looked over at Hercule when he heard him telling the people of Earth that Majin Buu had been defeated. Piccolo was nodding in approval, wiping a bead of a sweat off his forehead in the process. Behind them was little Bee kissing the unconscious Fat Buu, and Goku began blinking in confusion when he saw Bardock laying face first on the ground.

Gohan had ran to his side to help him up, and the scarred warrior began dusting himself off. Goku continued to stare while the others began questioning him about where he went during their attacks, but Bardock admitted to running away and doing nothing. It earned him a smack from Gine, a kick from Trunks, a middle finger from Vegeta, and an eye roll from Gohan.

Was it all my imagination? Goku questioned himself silently, rubbing the back of his head. It couldn't have been. It felt so real...

Their eyes suddenly locked with each other for a moment before Bardock earned another punch to the gut from Trunks. Before he keeled over, he gave Goku a simple wink.

XX

The guardian, whom Kami would be proud of knowing took his place, came charging towards the worn out Saiyans, human, and Majin cheering wildly. Elder Kai and Kibito Kai were smiling approvingly at them, taking a look around their home and deciding it wasn't looking half bad for what it had been through.

Dende came to a stop in front of the panting Goku, placing a green hand on his torn shoulder. "You guys were amazing... I couldn't be more grateful than to have you live on the planet I love so much," the Namek's smile grew when the Saiyan flashed him one despite his exhaustion. "I'm going to start healing you guys, alright?"

Goku started shaking his head when Dende raised his palms towards him. "I think you better take care of Vegeta and the boys first, friend. They got the worst of it."

"Of course," the teenage Namek nodded politely, and started healing Gohan immediately. The half-Saiyan hero shook his head, remembering the day both him and Krillin rescued little Dende. "This will just take a minute, Gohan. We dropped Videl and the others off at the lookout before coming here, and she's definitely waiting for you."

Gohan's face turned tomato red, causing Goku and Gine to whistle and begin teasing him. "Thanks Dende," he mumbled, but a shy smile remained on his face. "But could you be a bit quieter? My family gives me a hard time!"

The two friends shared a laugh while Dende moved on to the children, Gine, Piccolo, Vegeta, and finally Bardock.

"Mister guardian man! Could you, uh," the group turned around slowly to see Hercule still crying over the unconscious good Buu's body. "Could you heal him!? He's not a bad guy! He's good! He's m-my friend! Please..."

Before the teenage Namek could open his mouth, Vegeta raised his palm in the directon of Buu and began charging a ki blast. "Hell no! You want all this bullshit happening again!? You want to go through all of this again!?" the prince spit to the side, his son copying him. "Step aside, Earthling, or this blast is going to kill you ,too!"

Mr. Satan didn't budge an inch, refusing to have Buu end his life this way. The afro-haired man glanced up at Dende with desperate, watery orbs. "Please... You need to heal him.."

The Namek fiddled with his fingers, looking at the messy-haired hero for help. "Uh.. Goku?"

"Come on Vegeta," Goku spoke gently, sounding a bit lost in old memories of their first encounter. "The verdict came in, and you're officially a good guy now. I remember you received mercy all those years ago, can you finally learn how to give it?"

The prince gave a disgusted look at the pink Majin laying unconscious on the grass before snapping at Dende. "Fine, go ahead, heal him! But if the fatass goes insane again," Vegeta pointed a finger at the trembling Hercule. "Loudmouth here gets it."

Mr. Satan jumped away from Buu only to get on his knees in front of Vegeta. He began bowing, hoping it would do the trick. "Oh thank you, thank you! I promise Buu won't do any of those bad things anymore! I swear it!"

"Tch, whatever..." Vegeta turned his attention away from the others while Dende began reviving Buu, but not before reaching his hand out to the confused Trunks. "Son, come here. I need to talk to you."

The lavender haired child began to blink rapidly at his father's hand, his confusion growing by the second. "Uh...Dad?"

"It's alright kid," Bardock offered, his arm still draped over Gine's shoulder. "I didn't know what it was before, either. Just take it."

Trunks narrowed his eyes towards his mentor's direction, but decided not to sass him. It wasn't that he didn't know what his father was trying to do, he just couldn't believe his father was doing it! "Alright..." he reluctantly squeezed Vegeta's hand while the prince took him away from the prying eyes of the group. Once they were a good distance away, the son cleared his throat. "What did you need to talk about, Dad?"

Vegeta rubbed the back of his neck as if he were still in pain, glancing over at the others to make sure they were too busy to notice anything. "Do you think that I lied to you, son?"

The child knew exactly what he was talking about as he glared down at his tan and ripped boots that he had to remind Piccolo to materialize before his mother would see. "Well, yeah... You only said that so I would be distracted why you knocked me out! I could've blocked your hit if I knew it was coming..." Trunks quickly closed his mouth and looked up when he felt his father's large hands on his shoulders.

"I didn't say it to distract you, Trunks. I just wanted you to know the truth before I died," he reluctantly ran a hand down the bald head of his son, realizing that lavender hair was better than nothing. Literally. "I am so very proud of you, son. I always have been."

Holding in his tears, a small smile grew on Trunks' face knowing his father was telling the truth. He was too embarrassed to appreciate it at the time, but he was ready to be held by his father again. Wordlessly, he wrapped his arm around his dad's legs and rested his face against his Torso. Vegeta closed his eyes tightly, a smile forming on his face. If it felt this comforting being embraced by his son, he couldn't even begin to imagine what it would feel like to have Bulma again.

The prince placed his arms around his son's back, returning the embrace at last while a certain tall Namek smirked at the sight. Piccolo then looked over at Mr. Satan and Buu, who were jumping up and down while holding hands. He rolled his eyes, envisioning two children at play. "Hey, Champ?"

The jumping immediately halted; Hercule looking up at the Namek nervously and letting go of the curious Buu's hands. "Uh.. What is it, green dude- uh, I mean uh, Piccolo?"

The green dude flashed his fangs at the human, offering him his hand. "You really came through for everyone. Maybe you're not as useless as I once thought."

Hercule's eyes narrowed. "Gee, thanks!" but a smile couldn't help but form itself when Piccolo began laughing loudly, surprising Gohan who exchanged a look with his grandfather as they joined in. Hercule accepted his handshake, feeling proud. "You were pretty great yourself, but there is one thing I've been wondering..."

Piccolo raised his brow bone, releasing Mr. Satan's hand. "What is it?"

"...teachmehowtofly..."

"What!?"

Hercule let out a deep sigh while rubbing the back of his neck. His face was crimson, but he spoke louder. "Do you think you could teach me how to fly?" he peered over Piccolo's wide shoulder, making sure the others weren't paying attention. "But could you keep it between us? I can't have my adoring fans know I was trained."

Piccolo scoffed. "Some things never change, do they?" he scowled when he noticed Hercule was pouting. "Fine, fine! But you can't tell anyone anything either, or you'll regret it."

Mr. Satan gulped, but the sound of Buu giggling behind him due to Bee licking his face calmed his nerves. If this Namek did try anything, his best friend would protect him! Feeling relieved, Hercule straightened up and nodded with a giant grin. "It's a deal!"

Gohan blinked a couple of times, watching as his former trainer and future father-in-law were exchanging words with each other. "Gee, what do you think they're talking about?"

Bardock shrugged. "I dunno, kid, but-" he looked down at the tiny woman beside him unknowingly adoringly, wiping the last of her tears away. "It can't be better than this."

Goten wrapped his little arms around his grandfather's leg after being caried over to him by Goku. The little child was glaring up at him with a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Grandpa, did you really not to do anything? We all felt something really, really strong but Vegeta reminded us not to look.."

Bardock awkwardly looked up at Goku, who had an eyebrow raised and was waiting for some answers. The grandfather removed his arm from Gine so he could kneel down and whisper into Goten's ear. "Do you remember what you saw at night in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber when you couldn't sleep?"

"Uh huh, uh huh!" Goten nodded excitedly, trying hard to keep his voice as quiet as his grandpa. "Did you.. Did you become the monster?"

Bardock's lips curled into a smirk while he patted Goten's head. "I sure did."

"Awesome..."

Gohan, Goku, and Gine were now standing over the boys with their arms crossed, glaring down at them. "What exactly are you two keeping secret, huh!?" Gine teased. "That's not very nice to keep secrets, ya know!"

"Pain in my ass," Bardock muttered and gave the giggling child a wink before looking up at Gohan. "Nice job out there, kid. You've come so far from the Saiyafreak I first encountered."

Before the teen could answer, Goku butted in with a pout on his face. "Dad, I know something happened up there. So now I've got one more request to make."

The scarred man's eyes narrowed. "What is it?"

"Well," Goku stuck his nose in the air, and his father sweatdropped now seeing the ridiculous similarities to his mother. "It's simple. Goten and Trunks finished their fight. Vegeta and me finished our fight. Now, you and Gohan need to finish your fight! Whaddya say? No holding back, hmm?"

"Oh, of course!" Gohan brightened up immediately, even stood up a bit straighter. "We have to!"

Bardock raised a black brow. "And if I refuse?"

"SAIYAN PILE!" Gine cheered, being the first to tackle Bardock to the ground while the laughing Goten quickly joined followed by his brother and father. The scarred Saiyan couldn't breath. He was being poked and prodded and scratched to their hearts content. He was being attacked with kisses from his wife. He was getting his scalp murdered by Gohan's fists while Goten began jumping up and down on his stomach. His son was flicking his ear repeatedly and waiting for the explanation he would soon get.

And Bardock couldn't think of a better place to be.

The laughter of the Son boys, now complete with Bardock and Gine, echoed throughout the sacred World of the Kais to make it beautiful once again. Not a trace of Buu, besides the one forever smiling beside his best friend's side, could be found.

Was the savior the messy haired possessor of the Spirit Bomb, or perhaps the prince who is no longer blinded by his anger? What about an eighteen year old half Saiyan, who had proven his true power could beyond his father's, or the two younger ones who gave it their all and succeeded? Was it the simple human who showed his courage, or the mother who inspired more than she knew? Are the people of Earth finally the ones to be given credit? And what about the scarred warrior, who first came across all these people after walking towards the sunset?

One thing was for certain.

Without any of these heroes, Kid Buu would have never met his demise and their home wouldn't exist.

Goku sat up straight; his chest still heaving from his shared laughter with his family while he rubbed the back of his neck. His eyes settled on Vegeta, who was having a conversation with Trunks. The messy-haired hero's smile grew even wider when he realized the prince actually looked happy for once. "Sorry to interrupt, but I think it's time we go back to the wives!" he called, waving a hand to get the attention of the father-son duo. "Whaddya say!?"

Vegeta removed his hands from his son's shoulders so he could cross his arms over his chest. His former rival's family were all sitting up now, waiting for his reply. "Sure, Kakarot," he smirked. "But on one condition."

"Hm?" the hero blinked. "What's that?"

"Your harpy cooks for us."

"VEGETA!" Gine scolded, getting to her feet and wagging a finger at her prince. "You're cheating on your wife's food!?"

"Uh, Miss Gine?" Trunks chuckled nervously, stepping in for his father. "We love Mom, we really do. But she just can't cook."

Bardock silently pumped his fist in the air; realizing that his daughter-in-law gave him another reason to brag about when it came to the still prideful prince. "I highly recommend the pork chops."


	28. Acceptance

For once, there was a celebration at a certain cottage on Mount Paozu instead of Capsule Corporations in West City - and for good reason. The nearest neighbors were miles and miles away; so nobody besides the guests would be disturbed by the sound of Saiyans arguing over the remnants of Chi-Chi's cooking which was always followed by the sound of fists clashing into random body parts.

Strangely, the only one who didn't seem to be enjoying the celebration and pig-out was the scarred grandfather who had been looking forward to it ever since getting back to the lookout following Kid Buu's defeat.

Chi-Chi was the first to notice the sulking headbanded Saiyan slumped in a green lawn chair; not paying any attention to his wife and youngest grandson who were trying to capture fireflies in a jar in front of him. Instead, he was studying his navy blue wristband with a frown that caused Chi-Chi to approach him. Gently placing the freshly made apple pie on the ground - which was completely devoured by her husband seconds after - she closed the distance between them and reluctantly placed a hand on his Herculean shoulder.

"Alright, spill it!" her eyes narrowed when he grumbled at her touch, still not looking at her. "Everyone's here having a good time, and you're ruining the atmosphere! What's the deal?"

Bardock gently removed his daughter-in-law's hand off him, then proceeded to stand up to face her. Chi-Chi's frown deepened when she noticed his orbs looked deeply pained about something. "Do you think we can go inside for a moment and talk? I've got a bitch of a headache again."

"Language," she warned, earning an eye roll from Bardock. "...But sure. Come with me, you thug."

The duo looked at Gine and Goten to make sure they were too occupied with their bug catching to notice their escape, and then quickly made it inside the home as Chi-Chi slowly shut the door behind her. Before she could open her mouth to question the Saiyan in the living room some more, he silenced her with an awkward and surprising embrace.

"Uh.." she blinked, gently patting his back. "Are you going to tell me what's the matter, because the last time you did this the world disappeared."

Releasing her quickly, Bardock looked away while he spoke since he'd be too embarrassed to see her reaction. "Look, I've been thinking... Life isn't half bad now. I know it's kinda shitty that I still live with you," he chuckled darkly when she smacked his arm. "But with Gine and Kakarot back for good, it's pretty damn perfect. That's exactly why I feel like my curse is going to send me away again. I finished my job here; and maybe it's time to leave again."

Chi-Chi frowned, regretting the smack she gave him. Instead, she rubbed his shoulder and spoke gently. "You don't want to leave, do you?"

"Why in the hell would you ask me that!?" he snapped, removing her hand away and then lowering his voice with a deep sigh. "Of course I don't. This is where... I belong. It's home now."

Chi-Chi clasped her hands while her eyes reflected her excitement. "Gosh, do you really mean that, Bardock!?"

He held out a hand to silence her, causing the woman to scowl. "Don't get too excited; you act like it's because of you or something."

"Condescending jerk!" his daughter-in-law huffed, but her features soon grew soft when she watched Bardock grip onto his head and start to wince. "Hey... Is it another vision? Bardock? BARDOCK!"

xxxxxxxxxx

"The Super Saiyan God was formed in response to the darkness in your fellow Saiyan comrades. It was a messiah of Saiyans with good morals, which was rare. This messiah quickly defeated the dark-hearted Saiyans with incredible strength, but he used up all his strength and returned to his normal mode... with a few Saiyans left. Later, Planet Vegeta became a place filled with evil Saiyans, and the savior vanished into legends. If five good-hearted Saiyans hold hands and transfer the light from their hearts to a Saiyan, that Saiyan will become the Super Saiyan God!"

The dragon known as Shenron made his announcement to the people of Earth; quickly disappearing shortly afterwards as to not anger the God of Destruction watching him with bored eyes. He tapped his long nails against the table of empty plates while they began to figure out which five Saiyans would be able to help Goku achieve the formation so Lord Beerus could have his long awaited fight.

"There are only five of us!" Prince Vegeta snarled, still slightly embarrassed over the fact everyone knew he had a good heart now. "How the hell are we going to do this!?"

"Don't you have a brother?" Bulma questioned, tipsy from all the wine she had been drinking on her birthday that Beerus had ruined. "Remember? The short one who came to visit us not too long ago?"

An irritated vein could be shown throbbing on the grumpy male's forehead. "Yes, but... I have no idea where he is."

"Should have gotten his number," Bulma muttered under her breath.

The purple cat-like God groaned, standing up to stretch and yawn. "Well, I think I've about had it. I'm going to go home and take a nap after I destroy this planet." When he began walking away, a woman with the bluest of eyes and growing black hair reached out to him.

Videl...

"Wait, Lord Beerus! There is one more Saiyan here!"

The God of Destruction froze, glaring over his shoulder at the woman while Gohan looked at her stumped. "Videl..? What do you mean?"

The woman began to blush, holding her hands to her heart. "Well, he's not entirely Saiyan like Goku and Vegeta, but I know he has Saiyan blood and a righteous heart to go along with it!"

"Oh, honey!" Mr. Satan shook his head, stepping in the way. "You can stop beating around the bush! I know you all want me to beat Mr. Beerus, but I have no Saiyan blood! I'm only human-"

"IT'S NOT YOU!" Videl snapped through her hormones, reopening her mouth to apologize when Dende spoke for her.

"Videl is pregnant, you guys!" the guardian proudly announced, watching the faces of each individual beginning to change. "Growing inside of her is the pure Saiyan child of Gohan and herself, of course."

All eyes went immediately on Gohan, who nearly had tears brimming in his eyes as he ran towards his wife. He was donning his father's gi. "ARE YOU SERIOUS!? We're going to have a baby!?"

"I was going to tell you soon, but I guess now is reasonable-" her words were cut off by Gohan lifting her into the air and spinning her around while the others gathered next to them for congratulations.

"Are you going to bring me my Super Saiyan God now, or what?" Beerus responded, taking a sip of his soda. Gohan hurriedly placed Videl down as they ran to his father's side, who was mouthing 'congratulations' to him. The woman held hands tightly with Gohan, giving it a loving squeeze while Vegeta occupied her other. Beside him was the one transforming into the God, who was holding hands with young Trunks and Goten was there to complete it.

The men turned into Super Saiyans, and the golden aura began to dance and grow around them. When Vegeta began to feel the light emerging from his heart, he glanced down at Videl's pregnant stomach to see the same happening to here. All of them were giving the lights from their heart to Goku until he rose up into the sky with a bright blue light surrounding him.

Once the light had faded and the others were now longer blind to it, the Goku that Bardock knew wasn't there.

In his place was a Saiyan with red hair and eyes, generating a power even he could feel through his vision...

XX

"If that's the future, where the hell is Gine!?" Bardock yelled, causing Chi-Chi to lean down beside him for support. "Where the hell was I!? What happened to us!?"

"Shh, it's okay!" his daughter-in-law whispered, massaging his back until his breathing started coming back to normal. "What did you see?"

Through his pained eyes, Bardock finally looked at the exhausted housewife. His vision was that of something bittersweet; his grandson had created a child with the only person the teenager had ever felt a connection with and his son had reached a whole new level, a God level. But where was he? Where was Gine? What had happened to them to not have them in the future to see all of this occurring?

The scarred bit his tongue, deciding as usual to keep this one a secret at least for now. If this vision were to come true, it would mean that he wouldn't stay around forever and either something happened to his wife or she somehow went with him. Either way, it was a heartbreaking truth that the curse would ruin his life once more. "It was nothing important, Chi-Chi."

As he began to stand up straight again, Chi-Chi kept being her persistent self. "What do you mean!? You were practically screaming your head off just now!"

"It's nothing important, Chi-Chi." Bardock replied again, pushing her aside while wincing. "Do you think I can be alone for awhile? I need to think about some things."

The woman sighed, knowing there was nothing she could do to get him to talk. "How about you go relax in the hot tub in the back? Everyone is partying in the front yard, so I think you'll be okay. There's a pair of swim trunks that belong to Goku in the closet if that's what you decide to do..."

Wordlessly, Bardock brushed past her. A small smile grew across Chi-Chi's face when she saw him enter her room; and she began humming to herself as she put the dirty dishes in the sink. Unbeknownst to both of them, three pairs of eyes and ears were observing the entire thing through the kitchen window. The bodies all slumped down slowly, exchanging looks of helplessness and sadness.

"So Grandpa still has his curse?" Goten frowned, looking at his grandmother. "I thought it was gone since he's been here so long!"

"Yeah," Trunks mumbled, dragging his knees close to his chest. "How is that fair!? After everything we've been through he's just..he's just gonna go away!? Just like that?!"

Gine sighed heavily, pulling both the saddened boys closer to her with either arm. "I know... I know. I'm scared, too. I don't know what to do.."

Goten sat up straight suddenly, smiling after coming up with a quick plan. "Do you think we could pray for him to stay six more months until the Dragon Balls come back and then we can wish the curse to go away!?"

Trunks rolled his eyes. "Dummy, the grown ups want to use that wish to make everyone forget about Majin Buu. Besides, who would we pray to?"

"Anyone who will listen?" Gine suggested, getting on her knees while her grandson and a reluctant Trunks finally did, too. "I don't mean to sound selfish, but I think wishing for Bardock to stay with us forever is better than erasing the memory of Buu... They can wait a year after our wish, don't you think?"

"Hm, you've got a point," Trunks nodded, never the one to follow the rules, either. The trio folded their little hands together and closed their eyes tightly while Goten did the honors.

"Uhm, Dende or Supreme Kai or King Kai or whoever nice is up there listening," the little boy fumbled over his words, but felt encouraged when his grandmother and best friend didn't laugh at him. "Do you think that you could keep my grandpa Bardock with me for six more months until the Dragon Balls are back again? We really really need him around, and I love him. So, please... Thank you in advance. And uh, oh, amen!"

"Amen."

"Amen."

The trio opened their eyes quickly when they heard a loud splash coming from behind the house, followed by a familiar voice screaming, "KAKAROT WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU NAKED!?"

xxxxxx

Month One

"Are we going to do this now?"

A trio composed of both the messy-haired adult Saiyans and the teenage hybrid were standing in the same open field where certain flying lessons were held before the World Martial Arts Tournament not too long ago. Goku placed one hand on his hip and the other behind his neck; laughing loudly. "Well, yeah, Dad. Chi-Chi is setting up everything for your surprise-"

"DAD!" Gohan warned, immediately silencing his father. The two looked at Bardock who had full on suspicion in his orbs. The teen placed a hand on his grandfather's back and gave it a good pat to match an awkward laugh. "Mom just wanted us out of the house so she can give it a good cleanin', ya know!?"

Bardock's eyes narrowed, but he decided to dismiss it. Two many weeks had gone by without any ounce of fighting and he was beginning to grow restless. It would also be a good stress reliever after his most recent vision; the one that didn't include himself or his wife. The scarred Saiyan looked up at the evening sky and took a deep sigh. "You said you wanted me to fight in the form you claim to have witnessed?"

"Mmhm!" Goku hummed, nudging his father. "It's only fair to Gohan."

"Fine," Bardock murmured, distancing himself from the two while a power ball began charging in his hand. "But it's not going to be pretty."

Gohan watched in amazement as his grandfather formed the synthetic moon in the sky; and his amazement only grew when Bardock transformed into a golden furred giant ape. The teen sweatdropped, glancing over his shoulder at Goku. "I-Is this suppose to happen?"

"Yup!" Goku laughed, and then proceeded to whistle loudly from his amusement. "Do you feel the power emerging from that beast!? Doesn't it feel familiar to the one you felt on Supreme Kai's planet?"

"Ah..." Gohan nodded, watching as his Oozaru grandfather began pounding his chest for dramatic effect. The poor teen couldn't imagine himself beating up a monkey; it would be too much like that one horror movie he watched with Goten the other night. "D-Do I have to fight him as this?"

"Just wait," Goku smirked while Bardock's eyes settled on the artificial moon in the sky. "This isn't it."

Before the teen could open his mouth to question his father again, Bardock began doubling over as his enormous size started to shrink. During the transformation, Gohan could see the golden fur start turning to red; along with his eyelids. The ape's large head began forming into that of a Saiyan's; complete with long black hair that stuck out in numerous directions.

Gohan couldn't place his finger on it; this definitely wasn't any sort of Super Saiyan transformation he knew. The screaming that always occurred when the new rush of power began to flow through the veins of those who could achieve it wasn't there; the golden hair along with the icy green eyes were absent, and instead of looking electrifying, Bardock was on fire.

His grandfather was unrecognizable if it weren't for the scar on his left cheek; for his armor was replaced by a simple pair of green pants. "Dad," Gohan blinked. "Is this who you saw?"

Goku nodded, and a smirk began to grow on his face when Bardock raised a hand in the air to motion Gohan over. "Yup, and he's ready for you, son. Don't hold back, I haven't seen a good fight in a long time!"

The teen hesitated for a moment, looking at the strange creature on the other side of the grassy meadow with a red tail swishing behind him. "And...you're absolutely positive that's Grandpa?"

"Oh for fuck's sake, would you hurry up!?" answered Gohan's question. The teen powered up quickly, taking a leap off the ground that his boot left a small crater in as he flew towards his grandfather until he teleported. Bardock's eyes closed so the crimson coloring of his eyelids were showing; hiding his golden orbs. The red furred Saiyan flung his fist backwards; feeling it clash against the flesh of his grandson's hand.

"Your senses have improved greatly, Gramps!" Gohan smirked, holding onto Bardock's fist. The older Saiyan turned his head slightly so he could look at him through his peripherals. "Much better than your first spar with Vegeta!"

A scowl crossed Bardock's features; and Gohan could see his brows knitted together in anger. Confused, the teen opened his mouth to ask his grandfather what was wrong but immediately regretted doing the action. His open mouth was full of grass; finding himself face down on the field with slight pain in his wrist. "Gramps," his voice was muffled. "You flipped me!"

Bardock crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at his fallen grandson, who was beginning to rise while spitting grass out of his mouth. "Are you implying I'm stronger than the prince?"

Dumbfounded, the teenager couldn't help but blink. "Uh... Well, I mean... I don't think Vegeta could look like you-" Gohan dodged the roundhouse kick that was meant for his neck, and then jumped back a few steps. "What the heck is wrong with you!? I know we're sparing, but you're acting like you want to kill me or something!"

"You know damn well if the prince, Kakarot, and especially you had your tails still, you would all look like me!" he snarled, teleporting in front of Gohan and raising the boy who was refusing to fight at the moment by the collar of his orange gi. With each word he said, he shook him harshly. "It's just not fair!" Bardock threw his grandson at Goku, who caught him by his under arms.

"You okay, son?"

"Yeah..." Gohan whispered, allowing himself to be pushed away from his father. His orbs had become hardened while looking at his angry grandfather, not understanding why he was acting this way. Cracking his knuckles and neck, the teen powered up even more. "I guess I just have to knock some sense into him."

Bardock was already flying towards Gohan as flew away from his father, already seeking his opportunity. He uppercut Bardock's revealed pectorals, causing the male to wheeze at the outrageous strength of it, and then teleported behind him to smack him all the way to the ground as hard as he could. Bardock went skidding across the meadow, digging up parts of it and using one yellow eye to watch the angry teen in the sky until he came to a stop.

This can't happen, kid. I'm not going to be here anymore.

Slowly getting to his feet, Bardock began charging the very attack that his opponent had taught him. At the first 'kame', Gohan started mimicking his movements. As their hands were cupped at their sides, they continued to glare at each other as the blue orb in both hands continued to grow and grow.

"Haaameee..."

The teen began to feel uneasy, sensing the wave that would erupt from his grandfather would be more powerful. Trying to keep himself at ease, Gohan narrowed his eyes and continued to focus all of his energy into it.

"HAAAAAAAA!"

The two had released their beams; while Goku admired it from a distance. Both his father and son were struggling, and it was making him happy to see. Bardock was kneeling down and thrusting his hands upward; trying to fight against the one that was coming from above. Both of them were grunting and screaming loud enough that Goku was thankful he had no neighbors in earshot.

Man, we gotta have more spars out here... Hm?

Goku watched as the beams suddenly became diverted; breaking off in the middle and going their own separate ways. Goku winced as either one destroyed two mountains, and the hero decided maybe blasts wouldn't be a part of it. Bardock came walking slowly back to him; Gohan already had levitated downwards. The two were glaring at each other and panting heavily.

"I'd say it looked pretty equal," Goku mused, a goofy grin on his face. "But one of you was holding back..."

The two accused ones looked at each other with raised eyebrows. "Was it you, Gramps?"

"Oh, shut the hell up! You know it was you!" moody Bardock snarled, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away in frustration. "But it doesn't matter anyway. You're not going to see this transformation for a long time."

"But I don't get it, Gramps!" Gohan pressed. "Why do you want to keep this hidden? Are you ashamed or what?"

The three began walking back to their home, deciding to waste time instead of using instant transmission to get there. Bardock sighed loudly, knowing that no matter what he said that they wouldn't understand. "Look, like I mentioned earlier, you would completely overpower me if you had a tail. My tail is an advantage, and that's all. It's not fair to have this strength when I've never ascended," he turned his head away, slightly fuming. "I just have a fucking tail..."

"Gramps, stop that!" Gohan yelled, standing in front of him now. "You ARE the legendary Super Saiyan! You deserve any kind of power you get, it's not just because you have a tail but because you have a heart that makes it come alive! You're a hero!"

Bardock raised his hand to silence his grandson; causing the teenager to frown but become silent out of respect. "Enough, kid. I've never claimed to have a heart or be a hero, did I?"

"No, sir.. But-"

"But nothing," Bardock shook his head while Goku sighed. "Your father and the rest of your family keep saying that, but that's not what I am. I don't want to hear that anymore, alright?"

"Well..." Goku sighed again, failing to understand his father's stubbornness. "What do you want to talk about, then?"

"I don't really think I have much time left," Bardock began. Goku was patiently waiting for him to get his words out to the best of his ability. "But... I'm sorry I haven't spent as much of my time with you as I should have. It's just-"

"Ah, say no more!" the messy-haired hero placed a strong arm over his father's shoulder as the two continued to walk side by side. "You took care of my sons and Chi-Chi. I couldn't have asked for anything more than that. Without you, Gotenks wouldn't have been as strong as he was and we would have struggled even more against Buu. Don't apologize for that!"

Bardock stopped in his tracks, causing his son to do the same. He looked at Gohan, motioning for him to move along. "We'll catch up to you at home, kid. I need to talk to your father."

After a respectful nod, Gohan disappeared quickly to give them their space. Goku was scratching the back of his head and looking at the suddenly serious Bardock with confusion. "What is it, Dad?"

"Kakarot, when the time is right, I want you to train me."

"Huh?" Goku blinked curiously, noticing that his father had his hands on his shoulders. "You want me to train you?"

"A year together in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber," Bardock nodded. "I want to be trained by you to achieve the next level of a Super Saiyan, but I want the others to be there, too. Gohan, Goten, Trunks, even the prince if you can convince him."

The hero placed his hand on top of his father's to comfort his strangely pained expression. "Sure, that sounds like a great idea. But... why all of us?"

"I can't say much because I don't want to mess anything up, but I had a vision about this purple cat god thing... I didn't see much, but I could tell he was stronger than all of you. I didn't see myself there, but maybe," Bardock struggled with his words again, not wanting to think about not being with them anymore. "But maybe something will change if I can become a Super Saiyan 2."

A huge giddy smile crossed Goku's face; obvious excitement over the idea of fighting an opponent stronger than himself. "Alright, sounds great, Pops!" he winked. "Maybe I'll find a new transformation myself, eh?"

Bardock bit his lower lip, trying hard to keep that amazing secret to himself. For a moment, he pictured his son with the red hair and orbs that he had seen in the vision... A Super Saiyan God. "Kid, you have no idea."

xxxxxxxxxxx

Even when Bardock blew out the final candle, he wore a scowl. Gine had forced him to wear a party hat; and even though the string was cutting into his cheeks, nobody seemed to care. They all got amusement out of seeing the birthday boy looking like a small spoiled child who didn't get what he wanted this year.

"Say, Bardock?" Videl asked, ignoring his snarl. "How old are you, anyway?"

"Let's see," he murmured, counting his fingers and thinking. "I think thirty-six...?"

Goku spit his soda out while Chi-Chi and Gohan dropped the presents they were going to give him. The remnants of Goku's cola had splattered all over Bardock's face, and Gine began scrubbing it off his face as hard as Videl did to his dried blood at the World Martial Arts Tournament. While he was struggling against his wife's attack, Goku began blabbing. "WHAT!? DAD, YOU'RE THE SAME AGE AS ME!"

"WHAT!?" Videl was about to fall over from shock, but Gohan held her up just in time. The faces of the teenagers, Goten, Goku, and Chi-Chi had got into the face of Bardock, observing his features.

"Well, I mean, I guess he does look as young as you, Goku..." Chi-Chi blinked. "But it's still.. so weird!"

"Yeah..." Goku touched his nose and then other various parts of his father's face. "Weird... I guess time traveling has that effect..."

As his family began poking and prodding him, the male found himself actually wanting to travel away. At least until this day was over. He thought he had already been through the worst of it, but he was dead wrong.

After their amazement about his age had worn off, Gohan and Videl could barely contain their excitement as he began unwrapping the present they had given him. It was a tiny box; decorated with Capsule Corporations gift wrap. Bardock raised an eyebrow, and then slowly began peeling away at it. He flipped open the now naked box and blinked at the object inside.

"...What is it?"

Gohan and Videl looked at each other and shared a high pitch laugh, causing the male in the spotlight to sweatdrop. "It's a waaaaaatch," Gohan winked. "Just like mine!"

Cue eye twitching. "Oh God... No..."

"YES!" Videl cheered, raising a fist in the air. "We had Bulma make you a Saiyaman watch to go along with ours! We can fight crime together!"

"If you don't want it, I'll take it!" Gine chimed in, and Goten did the same. Those two were the only other ones in the world that found Gohan and Videl's little tag team adorable. Bardock was absolutely disgusted as he handed it back to them.

"Tell her to burn it..."

"What!? No way!" Gohan frowned, refusing to take it as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Come on! Just wear it once! Just once!"

"No! Hell no!" Bardock pushed his chair back and stood up abruptly, walking away from the disappointed family. He was making an escape to the outdoors before Gine stood in front of the door with an unlikely scowl on her face. "Get out of the way, pain in my ass!"

The curious family watched as she whispered something in his ear, causing him to turn bright red and begin stomping his foot hard enough that the house slightly shook. A smirk grew across Gine's face as the male came mumbling his way back over to the table, snatching the watch off the table and putting it on. "Alright, you little jackasses, but I'm only doing this once."

"Do it!" Videl cheered. "Press the button! I want to see your outfit!"

Muttering more profanity, Bardock pressed it. Once his custom made Saiyaman outfit was out on full display, Goku began laughing so loud that he fell out of his chair. Underneath the helmet, Bardock was fuming and glaring at his son. "What the fuck is so funny, Kakarot!?"

"Yeah, Dad!" Gohan defended him. "He looks great!"

"Go see for yourself, Pops!" Goku howled, earning a smack from Chi-Chi although she was stifling laughter herself. The Saiyaman-clad male looked at the others for reassurance, but realized it was no use. His wife and grandchildren had no fashion sense.

The messy-haired hero had disappeared for a moment to grab the full length mirror from his bedroom, still laughing as he placed it in front of his dad. "Alright, have a look, Great Saiyagrandfather!"

Reluctantly, Bardock turned around to look at himself. Gohan and Videl had already put on their outfits and quickly joined his side; the two of them loving the group of Saiyamen that they saw while Bardock grew wordless.

Much like the first Saiyaman he had encountered, Bardock was wearing the ridiculous helmet with antennae; only it was a god awful yellow. His tunic was brown; his undersuit was red and his cape was white. "...I look like a fucking bathroom accident!"

"Ah, what!? You look so cool!" Videl whined and pouted from underneath her blue shades. "The best one yet!"

"Fuck this! How did my hair even fit in this helmet?!"

"It's just this one time, Gramps!" Gohan frowned. "Come on! It's not like you're going to be fighting crime with us for a month or something!"

xxxxxxxxxx

Month Two

"He's coming through the streets.."

"Shut the hell up."

"He's coming to defeat..."

"If you value your life, you'll shut up now."

"Those who want to slaughter..."

"Gohan... I think he's serious."

"He's the one and only... SAIYA GRANDFATHER- OW!"

The Great Saiyaman was just backhanded by the Great Saiyagrandfather mid flight, causing Videl to laugh loudly. "Hey, Bardock, you're the one who agreed to this!"

"Only because you two wouldn't shut up!"

"...He's coming through the streets..."

"DAMN IT, GOHAN!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Month Three

"OH, CRAP!" Gohan sat straight up, his hair messy and signaling a good night's rest for the first time in weeks. He looked over at his alarm and screamed, seeing that it was crushed to pieces with no signs of the one who caused it around him. Quickly jumping out of bed, he changed into whatever outfit he could find and darted out of the room to see his grandfather sitting at the breakfast table with his father and brother; the women no where to be found.

"Gramps, how could you!?" the teen groaned, reaching out to the pancakes on his plate that was surprisingly untouched. "School starts in twenty minutes! Now I'm really going to have to jet!"

Bardock simply shrugged, never the one to understand why his grandson cared so much about that shithole was he flipped through the newspaper. Gohan raised an eyebrow; noticing he was looking at the classifieds. "Uh.. What's the deal? Are you trying to find a job or something?"

"Yup!" Goku grinned, looking at his son. "Your mother went to turn in my application to one of the farmers down town with Gine, and they warned him that if he didn't find a job by the time they got back he's going to be tilling the fields with me!"

Gohan had to stifle a laughter, while Goten freely did it, as Bardock looked at him with quiet desperation. "Well, I dunno if it's your type of thing, but my school is looking for a gym coach to finish up the remainder of the school year! A lot of people heard your voice when we were battling Buu, Gramps, and a lot of people already admire you. So I bet getting a job would be no sweat!"

Bardock placed the newspaper down to contemplate his options. He couldn't see himself being a truck driver; most definitely not a farmer. But torturing kids? "Where do I sign up?

XX

"Just five more. I know, I kind of want to die right now, too, but let's just power through it."

The students groaned as they finished the remaining lumber jacks their new coach was forcing them to do. Sharpener gave a dirty look to Gohan as he wiped the beads of sweat off his forehead with his arm. "Why doesn't your lazy ass grandfather do them with us!?"

"What's that?"

"N-Nothing, Coach Bardock!" Sharpener grinned nervously, and then dropped the act once the Saiyan looked away. Instead of looking at teacher's pet and goody toe shoes Gohan, he focused his attention on the blonde girl beside him. "What kind of workout gear is he wearing, anyway? I don't think I've seen anything like that my entire life. He's definitely not a professional. I don't know why the hired him!"

"Oh, hush!" Erasa giggled. "It's vintage! He totally looks like some kind of warrior from the past or something!"

Bardock blew his whistle loudly, silencing the gossiping teenagers. "Okay, time for some yoga poses. It's going to ache like a bastard until your hamstrings release, I'm not gonna lie."

"Like this, coach!?" numerous calls erupted throughout the gymnasium.

"Stretch a little deeper... it's okay to yell 'fuck' at this point. I won't tell anyone."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Month Four

"So let me get this straight," Bulma had to stifle a laughter, looking down at the extremely nervous Goten. "You want me to make sleeping pills strong enough to knock out a Saiyan?"

Goten blushed, realizing how bad it sounded when spoken by someone else. "Y-Yes, ma'am. And a normal one for my Mama. I don't want her to die."

Bulma nodded, running a hand through her blue hair and smiling. "Of course, but there's something I need to know before I start. What are you planning on doing with these Saiyan proof pills?"

The child turned even more crimson, taking a look at his best friend for support but the lavender-haired child was looking away as if he didn't know anything. Sighing, Goten decided to put his trust into the blue-haired genius. "When the Dragon Balls come back in two months, I'm going to find them and wish for my grandpa to stay with us forever instead of the wish they wanted to do with Majin Buu... I need them to be asleep or else they'll stop me..."

"Please don't tell anyone, Mom..." Trunks murmured.

Bulma placed her coffee mug on the table and smiled sweetly at the nervous boys. The three were sitting in the kitchen of Capsule Corps; waiting for the maid to finish cooking breakfast after the messy-haired child spent the night playing video games with Trunks. "Alright, sure. I'll make your pills for you, but you have to talk to Majin Buu first and make sure it's okay with him."

xxxxxxxxxx

Majin Buu listened to the plea of the children while rubbing his tummy. They were sitting in one of the fifty large rooms of Mr. Satan's mansion; the pink one sitting directly across from Goten and Trunks.

"Hmmm... okay! Buu do!"

"Really!?" the boys exclaimed, immediately high fiving each other until Buu cleared his throat.

"But Buu wants something!"

"Uhm," Trunks blinked. "S-Sure. What is it?"

"ICE CREAM!" he giggled, raising his fist in the air. "Buu wants boys to bring him ice cream since Buu can't leave Mr. Satan's home!"

The boys sighed in relief, happy that the request was reasonable. They hopped off the leather couch and shook hands with him, ready to leave the room when Mr. Satan and a certain Namek came barging in. Piccolo's green face turned red when he realized they were look right at him. "Wh-What are you two doing here!?"

"We should ask the same thing!" Trunks fired back, equally as crimson as the Namek. "What would you be doing hanging around Mr. Satan!?"

Hercule began laughing loudly in the only way he knew how to do. He was sweating profusely, trying to hide the fact Piccolo was training him on flying. "Little Goten! I have something to give you since your family helped me defeat the bad Buu!"

While they were distracted watching Mr. Satan dig through his closet, Piccolo managed to escape unnoticed. Goten's eyes widened as Hercule a briefcase at him. "What is it, Mr. Satan?"

"A hundred million zeni!" he proudly announced, placing his hands on his hips. "Don't spend it all in one place, ya hear!?"

"Is that a lot?" Goten whispered, causing Trunks to slap himself in the forehead.

"Of course, you dummy! You have to give it your mom!"

"Ohh," the Son boy nodded, holding the briefcase tightly against his chest with one arm while waving goodbye to Mr. Satan and Buu. "Thank you! And I'll see you at graduation, Mr. Satan!"

Before the officially left the room, Trunks glanced over his shoulder for a moment to see Hercule begin levitating up slowly while Buu cheered him on. The boy shook his head, realizing that he must have been crazy and shut the door behind him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Month Five

"WHO IN THE HECK WEARS A HEADBAND WITH A TUXEDO!?" Chi-Chi roared, raising her broom high in the air as Bardock dodged her proceeded swing. "You take that off right now!"

The Son family, along with the new addition of the Saiyan grandparents and Ox, were all crowded in the living room and waiting for Gohan to finish the money that Hercule had given Goten, Chi-Chi was able to get tailored outfits for the entire family. She had used Goten to trick Bardock into getting his measurements; claiming that wrapping the measuring tape around his body was some sort of game and if he refused he wouldn't get any lunch. Unfortunately for him, Gine had played along as well.

"Uh, Bardock?" Gine asked sweetly although there were some hints of frustration in her voice. "Have you ever told them why you were it? I think it's better than getting whacked every time."

Bardock rolled his eyes and brushed some of the bristles off his black collar. Luckily his shirt underneath the onyx coat was red; so he wasn't as completely mix matched as he was when he wore his son's gi. "It won't make a difference, dear," he sneered and then glared at the equally stubborn Chi-Chi. "This woman lives to make my life a living hell."

Before Chi-Chi could attack again, Gine placed herself in front of Bardock with an equally threatening pose. "And if you don't tell them why, I'll do the same!"

"You already do!"

The two were in each other's faces while Goku, Goten, and Ox were laughing loudly. Chi-Chi silently thanked Porunga for giving her another woman in the house to support her against the Saiyans, and turned around to put her broom away when she crashed into something. Blinking her eyes open slowly, she found herself facing a zipped up black graduation gown with a toned teenager underneath it. The mother immediately pushed herself away so she could get a good look of her son, and on cue began sobbing.

"Gohan..." she whispered, clasping her hands together and holding them against her pink dressed chest. "You... You're all grown up on me..."

"Ah geez, Mom," Gohan chuckled with a blush on his face. "It's just high school graduation. I have a lot more to do." He pulled her into a tight hug, placing his chin on her head while doing so and observing his family with a grateful smile. His grandparents ended their feuding to give him their nods of approval, while his father and brother flashed him a thumbs up.

Releasing his mother, Gohan walked over to Bardock and placed a finger on his headband. "I asked you months ago, Gramps, so get on with it. What's the big deal about that headband of yours?"

"Ugh," Bardock sighed deeply. "If I tell you, will you all shut the fuck up for once?"

They all nodded; Gohan keeping his finger pressed against the red material. "You bet!"

"It's my partner's blood."

"EW!" Gohan immediately brought his finger back to his side, while Chi-Chi ran to get some sanitizing wipes. "Gramps, that's sick!"

"Are you a vampire?" Goten questioned, tilting his head. "I always thought you were a vampire."

"I think he is," Gine whispered. "He's so moody because he hasn't got his fill for months."

While Bardock stood stunned in his dumbfounded state, Goku's eyes were bulging out of his head while he gripped his mom's shoulders. "Are you serious, Ma!?"

"NO!" the one in question finally roared, stamping his foot on the ground like a petulant child. "That pink fatass Dedoria murdered him, so I used his white headband to soak up his blood and I wear it to remind me what I'm fighting for!"

"Ohhhhhhhh!" they all said in relief, while Gine winked knowing the truth the whole time.

"Say Dad," Goku chimed in, nudging his angered father. "If I was murdered, would you soak up my blood and wear it, too? Or do only friends qualify for that?"

"WHAT!?"

"What about me!" Goten whined, pulling on his grandpa's pant leg. Bardock's eye began twitching rapidly, at a loss for words while Gohan opened his mouth after cleaning his finger off.

"Of course he would, Goten!" Big Brother came to rescue, placing his hands on his hips and giving his twitching grandfather a giant grin. "Why, I bet if we were all killed tomorrow, he would combine our blood and use it as a driving force to smite his enemies!"

"YOU GUYS ARE ALL PSYCHOTIC!" Bardock growled. "Let's just get the hell out of here, already!"

"You're the one who soaks up blood in the first place," Gine murmured, ignoring the deadly look her husband was giving her. "But you're right. The faculty has to get there a bit earlier, don't they?"

Bardock clenched and unclenched his fists multiple times, trying not to lose his composure as he was quickly gaining the stereotype of angry grandfather. He looked Gine up and down, realizing that he didn't have a moment to admire her beforehand due to Chi-Chi's attack. The dress that Chi-Chi had made for her fit her perfectly; a modest long sleeved red one that ended just below her knees. Although looks were never the forte for Saiyans when they chose a mate - the strong connections they felt were the reason - it didn't hurt having something that looked so good.

"Yeah," he mumbled, pulling her close to his side. "We do, unfortunately. Where the hell are you guys going to sit?"

"In the far back if we don't hurry!" Chi-Chi warned, taking a look at herself in the mirror and groaning when she noticed parts of her once neat bun had become loose after struggling with her father-in-law. "Great, just great! I'm going to look like a mess when we take pictures later!"

"Why don't you wear it down, Mama?" Goten suggested, a sly look on his face while he noticed his father's ears had perked up a bit. "You look real pretty when you do!"

"You think?" she questioned with a blush, looking at the only other woman in the room for confirmation. When her mother-in-law nodded sweetly, Chi-Chi sighed and released her long black hair. The wife looked at her wide-eyed husband, not sure what he was thinking. "...Goku? Is it bad?"

"No! No, no, no!" the messy-haired Saiyan laughed, quickly and unnecessarily teleporting to her side to lift her up by the waist. "It only reminds me that I made the right choice of staying home for good! Wow!"

Goten and Gohan began laughing as their father spun their lovely mother around; almost looking like they were dancing while Goten spoke to his older brother. "Maybe now we'll get another brother!"

"WHAT!?" Gohan nearly choked on air, turning crimson while pointing a finger at his younger brother. "How-How do you know about that stuff!? I didn't learn until my eighteenth birthday!" The teenager ignored the scoff from his grandfather, keeping his helpless eyes locked on the newly confused Goten.

"It's not that hard to figure out, silly!" the child laughed, smacking his brother's leg. "Grandpa was telling me the other day-"

Gohan looked immediately at Ox, who was raising his hands in front of him in defense to let him know he wasn't the culprit. That only left the bad grandpa, of course. The one who was snickering and trying not look at the infuriated graduate. "Gramps! What did you tell him!?"

"YEAH!" Chi-Chi had escaped her momentary hold with her husband to begin reaching for her deadly frying pan, causing Bardock's eyes to widen. "WHAT EXACTLY DID YOU TELL HIM!?"

The scarred warrior looked desperately at his son, who quickly gathered everyone together against their will. "Well, it's time to go!"

"GOKU-"

Instant transmission saved Bardock's ass.

At least for now.

XX

Although the family feud had cost them time, Chi-Chi was relieved to see that her friends were already reserving five seats. With Piccolo, Krillin's family, Yamcha, Roshi with his animal gang of misfits, Tien and Chiaotzu, and of course the Briefs, an entire row was filled to cheer up Gohan. Goku waved obnoxiously, causing Vegeta to scowl although the messy-haired Saiyan's eyes were on the Namek.

"Piccolo!" he called. "Hey, Piccolo! I can't believe you're here!"

"What!?" the Namek smirked. "You act as if I would miss this!"

Goku chuckled, always being reminded of his relationship with his oldest son. As Goku followed Goten, they were approaching Trunks who had been at the start of the empty seats. Before he sat down, the hero noticed Vegeta was glaring at him. "Huh? What's wrong?"

"Why aren't you surprised I'm here!?" he snarled. "You asked the Namek, but you didn't ask me."

"Well," he blinked. "It's simple. You love Gohan."

"WHAT!?"

"Oh, hush!" Bulma warned, sitting on the side that wasn't occupied with Trunks as she smacked his shoulder. "You guys can have your little argument later."

While the flame-haired Saiyan continued to grumble about how life was unfair, Chi-Chi looked around and noticed someone was missing. "Hey, where's Hercule? Didn't he come here for Videl?"

With an eyeroll, Bulma gestured to a section where Mr. Satan and all of his fan girls were holding up pictures of Videl's face on sticks. "Honestly..it's for the best."

"Agreed."

"Where's Bardock?"

This time, Chi-Chi gestured to the faculty section where another messy-haired Saiyan was sitting in between two blonde women and looking absolutely miserable. The row began laughing loudly, earning a middle finger from Bardock which only caused them to laugh harder. It looked like he was about to say something to them, when the principal had stepped up to the podium.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen. The time is now six o'clock, and our evening shall begin with a speech from our valedictorian, Son Gohan!"

"YAY! YAY! YAY! THAT'S MY BROTHER! MYYYY BROTHER!"

"MOMMY LOVES YOU GOHAN!"

"SO DOES GRANDMA!"

"YEAH! LOOKIN' GOOD, SON!"

The auditorium had grown silent as Gohan stepped up to the podium. He wiped his sweaty hands on his gown, and used the sleeves to get rid of the sweat on his forehead. All eyes were on him; the spotlight was on him, and his speech had been forgotten at home to cause his anxiety to grow even more. He gulped as quietly as he could so the audience couldn't tell he was screaming internally. "H-Hello, everyone..."

His face turned crimson, losing all the words he had worked so hard on and cursing himself for being so careless as to forget such an important piece of paper on such an important day. Murmurs began to rise, causing his heart rate to skyrocket as he fiddled his nervous fingers against the podium. Desperately, his eyes began scanning the crowd to find the one person he knew that could ease his worries.

Gohan found her in the student section; shining like an angel even in her black gown. Once those encouraging blue eyes of hers dug into his from a distant, the teen gained a confidence he hadn't felt since Elder Kai unleashed his hidden power.

Miss Videl Satan had that effect on him, and it only seemed to keep growing with time.

I love you.

"Hello everyone; my family, my teachers, my class. I wish that I could stand up here and tell you that I've been through all these painful years of schooling by your side, but that would make me a liar." Gohan's voice was much louder now; nobody in the audience had to strain to hear him and there was no trace of anxiety on him. His eyes looked away from the beaming Videl to focus on his crying mother. "You see, I was home schooled up until my senior year, even coming in just months before graduation. If you personally know me, you know I'm not the type to brag. But I've got a pretty awesome mother to have gotten me that far this quickly."

Bardock looked away from his grinning grandson to over his shoulder at where his daughter-in-law was sitting. Goku had his arm wrapped around Chi-Chi, who was clenching a handkerchief tightly against her chest with one hand while Gine was holding the other. Goten could barely contain himself; jumping up and down in his seat and whispering to Trunks how cool his big brother was. The lavender haired child tugged on his mother's shoulder, asking when he would get a sibling and earned a backhand from his father to silence him. A painful feeling began swelling in his chest despite the small grin on his face as Bardock reluctantly turned away. It had been a miracle that he wasn't in another timeline yet, but the thought of leaving them all behind kept beating him down in the back of his mind.

It would hurt like hell to lose a life that was so damn perfect now.

People began to laugh as Gohan told corny jokes and memories of moments he shared at Orange Star High with the faculty and students, and then gripped onto the podium as his voice became more serious. "Anyway, the message I really want to get across to you guys tonight was something I learned from both my father and grandfather, the latter of which you'll recognize as Coach Bardock." Cheers erupted from the student section as the teacher beside Bardock nudged him. Goten could be heard screaming wildly until it was obvious Chi-Chi silenced him. Gohan gave his blushing grandfather a wink before continuing. "You see, both of these men are my heroes but for very different reasons. My father has taught me since I was four years old to use my heart to stand up for those who can't, and be a beacon of light for those who lives have become dark... like my grandfather's was."

Goku's grip tightened on Chi-Chi more as his eyes slowly moved away from his son to look at the back of his father's head. He seemed to be frozen in place; the teachers on either side of him whispering to him but it looked like he wasn't responding. "Where do you think he's going with this?" the messy-haired hero whispered, not to anyone in particular.

"I don't know," Gine responded in a quieter whisper. "But it's got the whole crowd dead silent."

Those closest to the stage could see tears beginning to brim in Gohan's eyes as he cleared his throat; trying to keep them at bay. "You see, my father has always been a hero while my grandfather never was. But you see, Coach Bardock never pretended to be anything other than what he is. I can't really tell you what that exactly is, because he's still trying to figure it out himself. Just like all of us are, as we will soon be entering into the 'real world'. But he has constantly reminded me that you don't need to follow someone else's script, that you don't need to do what is expected or avoid discomfort. Because, trust me, I'm pretty sure we've all made him uncomfortable here."

An eruption of laughter filled the room while Bardock's name was being whistled by numerous people in the audience. Still, the scarred former warrior couldn't take his eyes off his grandson as the pain in his chest grew stronger and stronger.

"So to finish this and begin the only part of the ceremony we actually care about," more laughter. "The one thing I want you all to take away from this speech and from my grandfather is to take the road less traveled. Look at what you have done for the moment, and use it as fuel to venture forth and write your own story. If it's anything like the hero I now see before me, amazing things are going to happen. Congratulations, my friends, and I hope to see you all on opposite paths towards greatness."

Gohan bowed while rows and rows in the auditorium had people getting on their feet to applaud him. The teen rubbed the back of his neck nervously at the sight, quickly waving to his family before the principal came to motion him back to his seat. On his way there, it seemed like everyone was calling his name while the principal tried to silence them all to the best of his ability. The valedictorian took a look over at the faculty section before taking his seat beside Videl, locking his orbs on Bardock who was the only one remaining standing up. He wasn't applauding; but there was a look on his face that caused Gohan to freeze for a moment.

It was a smile of a million wordless thanks and sentiments he could never manage to say but it was so desperately on the tip of his tongue.

xxxxxxxxxx

Month Six

Goten waited patiently and quietly until one by one the members of his family who consumed the laced soup began dropping their heads on the table. After Gine gave him the signal, Trunks came sliding through the window and three placed the four sleeping bodies on their beds.

"Did you bring it?"

"Oh, yeah. I brought it." Trunks dug out the Dragon Radar from underneath his gi as the sneaky three began chuckling evilly. "How long did my mom say the sleeping pills are going to last?"

"About five hours," Gine replied, setting the timer on the watch she was burrowing from her daughter-in-law. "Will that give us enough time to collect them all?"

The lavender haired child gave the woman a two finger salute. "More than enough! Who do you think we are; amateurs!?"

In their own personal record time of three hours (would have been two and a half if they didn't stop to play in the snow in one of the mountain regions), the trio placed all seven glowing Dragon Balls together and held hands tightly while they summoned Shenron together. Within seconds, the eternal green dragon had risen from the Earth's core and looked down at those who had brought him there.

"State your wish."

Goten gulped, looking up at his grandmother for reassurance. When she squeezed his hand tighter, the boy cleared his throat to begin. "Shenron! My grandfather Bardock was cursed many decades ago. I wish for his curse to be lifted!"

"...What you wish is no easy task..."

"Oh..."

"...But it shall be done."

"Really!?" they all exclaimed in unison, and began jumping up and down together. Gine lifted the two boys up with either arm and held them closely to her while they all shed tears of joy.

Their beloved Saiyan was going to stay with them forever.

"The one you call Bardock is now free from his curse."

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Still in farmer uniform, Goku had used instant transmission after a short encounter at Capsule Corps to stand in the center of his kitchen with a frown on his face. Chi-Chi and Gine were in the middle of scrubbing the dishes while Bardock and Gohan were in the middle of arm wrestling; all stopping to look at the confused Saiyan.

"Goku?" Chi-Chi blinked, dropping a dish in the sink before she placed a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong? You couldn't have possibly gotten those Dragon Balls that quickly."

Goten froze with a red crayon raised above the picture of the apple he was trying to color in; beginning to turn the same shade as he held the coloring book up to hide his face.

"You're right Chi-Chi," his father's voice rang through his ears. "I asked Bulma for the Dragon Radar, but there wasn't any signal. Someone else must have used them before I got the chance."

"What!?" Gohan asked, and then yelped when his grandfather slammed his arm down after becoming distracted. Rubbing his bicep with a pout, the teen looked at his father with knitted brows. "Who else could've found them that fast!?"

"That's what I'm wondering! It's so strange!"

Bardock looked away from his frustrated son to see Goten completely hidden behind his book; absolutely looking like the definition of guilt. "Hey, Kakarot. I think the little leech has something to say."

"Eep!" Goten peered over his book with frightened eyes, and then quickly hid again. Bardock reached his arm over and smacked it out of his hands; revealing the sniffling child who did a rugged sigh. "Fine... I-I'll tell you... Just don't be mad!"

Gine and Chi-Chi exchanged looks with each other, and with Goku, they all sat at the table and waited patiently for Goten to talk. Goku placed his large hand on top of his tiny one and smiled. "Hey, nobody is going to be mad at you. Just tell us what you wished for."

Goten took another deep breath, convincing himself that maybe his father was telling the truth. Still, he didn't dare look Bardock in the eyes as he spoke. "While you guys were sleeping, me and Trunks and Grandma went out to get the Dragon Balls and we summoned Shenron and-and-..."

Goku raised an eyebrow, looking at the now crimson Gine for getting busted but tightened his hold on Goten's hand for comfort. "It's okay, little guy. Tell me what you wished for."

The child started crying when he finally met the confused eyes of his grandfather; still not believing the wish had come true and was overcome with a mixture of happiness and anxiety. He pointed a finger on his free at Bardock. "We wished for Shenron to get rid of your curse so you can stay with us forever," he lowered his head. "And... And it worked. Please, don't be mad. I didn't want you to leave... And Majin Buu said it was okay as long as we bring him ice cream..."

A silence had fallen; all eyes on Bardock now, who was frozen in his seat. Chi-Chi was the first to speak, moving past Gine and placing her hands on her little boy's shoulders. "You mean... Bardock is going to stay with us? Forever? As a complete family?"

"..Yes, Mama.."

Smiles began to get shared around the table, and it soon erupted into loud cheers. They were all hovering over Goten now, giving him kisses and gentle punches for what he had done for his grandfather. But neither the child or Bardock were smiling; their eyes were locked on each other. "Grandpa?"

"Kid," Bardock finally cleared his throat and stood up, causing the family to look at him as his chair scratched against the kitchen tiles. "Come with me." Without saying anything else, the grandfather began heading to the room that they shared. Goten once more looked at his family for reassurance, and when they all gave him nods of approval, he finally followed.

Cheers began filling the room as he left once more, and then it was blocked out as Goten shut the door behind him. Bardock was sitting on the bed; looking at his hands and the navy blue wristband opposite his red one. Goten took a ragged breath, and sat down beside him. "Grandpa, I'm sorry... I overheard you talking to Mama and I thought that's what you wanted..."

His words had ended when he felt two strong arms pull him in. Goten was now blinking into an armored chest, and heard it rumble when Bardock finally spoke. "I need to ask you something, kid."

Goten pushed himself away to look at his grandfather curiously; having never heard him speak so quietly before. "Sure, Grandpa. What is it?"

There was that strange sensation, the one that had been rising on and off inside his chest ever since Bardock had been thanked by Ipana and Berry of Planet Plant. It got continuously worse since he encountered Gohan; feeling absolutely consumed by it when Chi-Chi looked him in the eyes and when Goten held his hand for the first time. It was present when he finally met Kakarot, during the time in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber with Gotenks, and absolutely trying to take over every last bit of darkness he had inside of him when his eyes rested on his wife after being separated for so long.

He would never have to go through it again, all because of the child looking into his eyes.

"Tell me..." he spoke as if he was holding back years of torture and denial. "What's the word you guys tell me all the time? Loofah or something like that?"

"Love?" Goten giggled. "You mean love?"

"Y-Yes," Bardock winced. "Love. What do you feel inside of you to make you say that?"

Goten's eyes rolled to the back of his head while he was thinking; bringing his orbs back to his grandfather within moments with his trademark grin on his face. "Well, I don't really know! I guess I feel really, really happy when you're around! And when I think about losing you, I have to stop myself because it hurts so much and I don't ever want that to happen! Besides Trunks, you're my best friend!"

Bardock's heart was drowning. "Is that really how you feel?"

"Yes, Grandpa! I love you!"

The Saiyan closed his eyes, finally understanding the feeling inside of him and accepting it once and for all. When he reopened them, he noticed Goten was watching him with anxious eyes. "Then I.. love you, too."

Bardock allowed the tiny arms to wrap around his neck, never feeling so vulnerable in his life yet knowing it was right. He held onto Goten tightly; and the two remained in an emotional embrace until Chi-Chi stuck her head inside.

"Is..." she couldn't hide her smile seeing the two holding onto one another. "Is everything alright?"

"Grandpa?" the child whispered.

"Yes?"

"Do you love Mama, too?"

"Eh," he shrugged and pulled Goten away to give him a wink. "It's more of a gray area, there..."

"HEY, WAIT A MINUTE!" Chi-Chi snapped, causing the two to jump. Goten quickly abandoned his grandfather and hid behind his dresser, afraid that his mother was mad at him. Luckily, her rage was directed towards the now scowling Bardock. "YOU WERE TELLING HIM MORE DIRTY THINGS, WEREN'T YOU!?" Not giving him a chance to speak, she charged towards him.

The male rolled his eyes, flinging her over his shoulder before she could try anything. She began smacking his back and kicking her legs in the air, trying to get free but Bardock wasn't having it. Surprisingly being louder than Chi-Chi, the Saiyan spoke to the little one coming out of hiding. "Come on, kid. We're all going to meet Vegeta and Trunks at the doors of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber."

Goten couldn't believe his luck as he watched Bardock carry his mother away. Not only had he received a father, but he earned a loving grandma and the best man in the world as a grandpa. After seven years of believing all he needed was his mama and Gohan, a cold hearted warrior turned good man had come crashing from the sky and brought to him like it was fate.

Although Bardock would never admit it, he was a hero.

At least in the eyes of a small, messy-haired child who would wear the red wristband given to him proudly every single day; picturing himself each time he looked in the mirror as the man who had brought out the full potential inside of him that he didn't intend on wasting.

"Hurry up, ya little leech! We're heading to the lookout!"

"I'm a'comin'!" he shouted, taking one last look in the mirror. As he imagined a scar that spread along his left cheek and a bloodied bandanna that rested against his forehead, a smile grew across his face. He looked like a mini-Bardock. "Awesome..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it, folks!  
> The sequel, When the Sun Rose, is a WIP on FFN and has been recently updated. Check it out if you want, but when it is complete I'll post it here.  
> I hope you enjoyed <3


End file.
